We Are The Afterlife
by Cherrybee365
Summary: Juliet: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss. Damon and Bonnie never thought their conjoint hands could create life. (B/C I wanted Bamon to have a baby.)
1. Chapter 1

The unlikely duo stop looking at the horizon. The light was taking them over and becoming too bright to stare into. "Do you think it will hurt," Bonnie asked over the sound of the wind picking up threatening to carry them away.

"I don't kn"- Damon's words were cut off as the white light engulfed them. Damon heard a shrill cry in his ear and felt jerked against his mattress. He shot up gasping for air just as Bonnie did the same. They looked over at each other and smiled slightly relieved that they were alright and together. But there was still the crying and to take care of the sound. They looked on the other side of Damon at the baby monitor. Bonnie gasped and Damon groined. They both got out of bed and followed the sound into the next room.

Damon opened the door and inside was a little girl screaming at the top of her lungs. Bonnie let out a sigh just as Damon closed the door and opened it again. "Damon," Bonnie yelled going into the room. They walked the same pace to the girl unsure of what to do.

"Check in its collar maybe it has a name?" Damon said looking at the little girl.

"My guess is that it's Sarah," she said pointing to the pink and purple letters over the girl's crib.

Damon shrugged and looked around the room. He saw a picture of him with the baby in the hospital cutting her umbilical cord. Then there was one of the three of them. And one of Rudy holding her. "Um we have a problem," Damon said as he picked up the picture of the three of them.

"She has a fever," Bonnie said not caring what he had to show her.

"Well what are we supposed to do? I can't give it my blood cause," he checked his mouth. "Uh nope-no fangs," he yelled scared to death.

"There's medicine over there thank god, get it."

"It says ask a doctor before use in children two and under," Damon said.

"She'll be fine," Bonnie said taking the bottle and giving the girl the medicine.

That made the little girl freak out and start crying again at the horrible taste in her mouth. She was done with Bonnie and reached for Damon to save her. He looked terrified as she pushed Bonnie away trying to get him. "I don't know what to do."

"You could hold her for a second so I can get her some apple juice she might have an upset stomach too," Bonnie said giving Sarah to Damon.

The girl settled upon contact with Damon. She played with Damon's face and she tried to get him to do something. "Bonnie what's taking so long? This thing is trying to take off my face," he yelled trying to avoid biting the little girl's fingers which were now in his mouth.

"She's cranky when she's sick just like her mother," Rudy said coming into the room without Bonnie.

"Mr. Hopkins," Damon said surprised to say the least.

"Mr. Hopkins?" he laughed. "What happened to Grampy?" he said taking Sarah.

"I uh-tried I guess. Where's Bonnie?" he asked.

"She's talking to Shelia about the party. It's in two hours and you guys still don't have any decorations up," he said shaking his head. "I honestly don't know what you kids would do without Grampy," Rudy said to Sarah.

"I'll be right back."

Damon ran down the steps to see Bonnie in tries having a heart to heart with Sheila. That was all fine and well but he needed answers.

"What the hell is going on?"

"And you still think this is "at peace"?" Bonnie said to Grams looking at Damon.

"It is now hush," Grams said to Bonnie. "Damon the veil keeping the supernatural creatures from finding peace was removed when the other side was destroyed. That means we're in heaven, hell, the underworld whatever you'd like to call it this is the afterlife. This is where everyone that finds peace goes," she informed them.

"And we're parents because that would bring us peace?" Damon said unsure of that.

"I had nothing to do with that bit of information. I made sure that Bonnie would have peace of mind to enter in here, you were never a part of that plan. This could also be due to the state you entered here."

"I guess I'm never holding your hand again," Damon mumbled.

"Trust me it wasn't a pleasure," Bonnie sneered.

"Can we focus on the birthday girl for a minute you two," Rudy said joining everyone. "Her fever still hasn't broke."

"She's not as cranky," Damon noted.

"That's because she missed her Grampy," Rudy cooed at the little girl making Bonnie smile. "She's just like you always the drama queen," he smiled at Bonnie. "It's not good enough that it's her birthday she has to get extra attention by being sick."

"That sounds more like Damon than me."

"Oh you used to always get sick or pretend to be on your birthday or Christmas, mainly to open your presents early," Sheila said.

"I don't believe it," Damon smirked at Bonnie who was a little red in the face.

"Yeah will get over it," she said jabbing him with her elbow.

"Anyway, I got my special daddy cure and Shelia made some broth for her since she hasn't been able to keep anything solid down," he said going to the kitchen.

"Dad that stuff is toxic," Bonnie said.

"It works," he said pulling a green puree from the fridge. The smell made everyone wrinkle their noses. He put some in a medicine drop and snuck it in her mouth pretending to give her some chocolate.

"You could at least give her the chocolate for feeding her that gunk," Damon said as the little girl rubbed her face in his shirt. She was traumatized. "It's okay," Damon said as he rocked her.

"You spoil her," Rudy said tsking him.

Damon looked up alarmed at Rudy's accusation. When he first saw the little girl he was afraid to touch her. Now he felt like he should never put her down. She was too tiny and precious to go out into the world. He didn't want it to break her. He was amazed at how blue her eyes were a mirror of his own. Her hair was sleek and dark like his, but everything else was Bonnie to the tee. The way she scrunched up her little nose and how she made those _you better not_ glances at everyone. He was a father.

"Give it an hour she'll be right as rain, and glad she can enjoy her party," Rudy said pinching her cheek. "She needs to get ready for the party."

"I'll go wash her up," Bonnie said reaching for her.

"I can handle it," Damon said.

"Why don't we just do it together," Bonnie said looking at Grams. "Can you guys handle things?"

"Yep already called in the reserves," Rudy laughed.

"Great," Damon said.

Once in the bathroom, Bonnie ran the water as Damon undressed Sarah. "Why would we name her Sarah, like we're two pretty creative people," Damon said looking at her. "She looks more like a Madison or Joslyn something elegant and beautiful."

"Damon she wasn't here before. This world just interjects you in it once you die. Somehow, us holding hands meant we made a baby."

"We should get married. I don't want my daughter to be a bastard," he smiled at her.

"Could you watch your mouth, and this is big. We have a baby. Like a little human being."

"She looks just like you, and those could be Matt's eyes," he teased her.

"And that hair," she said as she gently washed Sarah's hair.

"You got me there," he teased her.

"We have to figure out a way back," Bonnie said once the little girl was all clean.

"We found peace there's no going back."

"What about Elena and Stefan?" Bonnie asked.

"What about your dad and Grams," Damon said.

"We can bring them back with us."

"And what makes you think there's magic in this paradise. I'm not a vampire."

Bonnie looked at the little pink robe on the door she slowly willed it over with her mind. "Does that answer your question?" she asked with a smug smile.

"That's not fair," he said wrapping Sarah up.

"Witches are a natural occurrence in nature. I was born a witch, you, not so much," she taunted him.

"Isn't mommy a show off, Isn't she," he said making Sarah laugh.

"Could you not teach her to be an ass," she whispered.

"Why are you being so uptight?"

"Why aren't you trying to get home," she whispered again.

"Why are you whispering there's no one up here but us," he asked.

"I don't want to upset her," she said.

"And what about how you're upsetting me?" he said with a childish pout.

"Will you be serious? We can get out of here for real," Bonnie stressed.

"What about Sarah? If us finding peace created her, what happens when we leave?" he asked looking down at the toddler as she played with her birthday dress Shelia and Rudy brought.

"I don't know," Bonnie said feeling an intense aching building in the pit of her stomach. She caressed Sarah's face and the little girl grabbed Bonnie's hand and rubbed her face against it.

"Are you okay with that? Because it doesn't look that way," Damon said matter-of-factly as he noted the moment the pair shared.

Bonnie wouldn't lie, she felt connected to Sarah. Call it mother's intuition or whatever but she couldn't imagine leaving Sarah behind. The moment she held the girl in her arms she felt connected to her. Sarah just felt like hers. "And what about you all of a sudden you're Mr. Mom," Bonnie snorted.

"No but we can't just leave her and never look back. I maybe a serial killer, but I'm not sick Bennett," he said lifting Sarah up after he put her diaper and tights on. "We're all she has and if we leave with everyone than she's an orphan. All alone in this world," he said kissing her cheek.

"I got that Damon," she said frustrated.

"I don't think you do Bonnie. We both had pretty shitty parents and the fact that you could leave her like Abby left you i-"

"Don't you dare go there with me Damon."

"What? Afraid of the truth."

"I'm serious," she yelled.

"Did you even stop a moment in your quest to get back to Jeremy to notice that your only daughter will experience a life with a mother? Hunh Bonnie?" he yelled as Sarah started to cry.

"Look at what you did," Bonnie said putting the dress on Sarah so they could leave.

"Don't you dare touch her," Damon said taking the girl and rocking her like he used to do with Stefan. It had been a long time since he held a baby, but it all came back naturally as he did it.

"Oh so you're just going to shield her from me now?"

"You're the one trying to kill her."

"That's not what I want Damon. I just want to go home to our lives. No matter how bad it seemed, that's where we belong. Do you really think they will be okay without us?"

"Alaric's back, they have each other. We're it for her. That's all I know that's all that matters."

"And what about Elena?" Bonnie asked knowing he would never give Elena up.

"I'm not saying that, I'm saying we can't just up and leave and not think about what's going to happen to Sarah. I'm surprised I have to explain that to you," he said giving Bonnie a look as if he didn't know who she was.

"Wow," Bonnie said taken aback.

"What?" he asked.

"You found something more important than Elena," Qetsiyah said.

"And way cuter," Katherine grinned next to her. "Thank god she looks like you Bon-bon."

"You've got to be kidding me," Damon groaned.


	2. Chapter 2

"You sound disappointed I'm here?" Katherine said as she smiled at Damon.

"No I just thought maybe I avoided hell, but guess not," he smiled at her.

"What do you two want?" Bonnie asked.

"It's time for the party to start. You've been up here fighting long enough," Qetsiyah said sounding amused.

"Oh, this is going to be great. A party with a psychopathic bitch vampire and the original third wheel," Damon groaned.

"Wow a vampire that's creative," Katherine sighed.

"He's just jealous," Qetsiyah said kissing Kat.

Bonnie's brow furred and Damon's eyes budged. They glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes to gage each other's reaction. "I-we need to get her down stairs," Bonnie said ready to get as far away from the gruesome scene before her.

"See you two down stairs," Damon said as he carried Sarah out the door following behind Bonnie. "That was weird."

"Yeah I don't think weird is enough to describe what we just saw."

"I know shouldn't she be searching for Silas or something?" he wondered.

"I don't know but that wasn't right."

"Did you two find out about Kat and Questyiah?" Lexi asked.

"Lexi," Bonnie smiled as she embraced her.

"Hey, Damon," she said with more malice. "Didn't quite make it back did you?" she sneered.

"Not quite."

"And I give up my third chance at life for nothing go figure."

"Whatever you ca-"

"Hey this is a party not a boxing ring," an older women with long dark hair said. Her skin was milky and clear like fine porcelain. Estella was a true to life snow white.

"Mother," Damon said not believing his eyes. She was everything he remembered down to the smell of rose oil radiating from her hair.

"You never look that surprise to see me," she smiled as she hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"This isn't real," He said to himself.

"I'm gonna get lost," Lexi said. "It's nice seeing you Mrs. Salvatore."

"You too Alexia," she said with the very warmth Damon missed. "How is my little princess," she smiled at Sarah who was looking at the older woman just as mesmerized as her father.

"I just-You're here?" he breathed.

"Where else would I be? It's not every day your granddaughter turns two," she caressed Sarah's face and she smiled.

"There's literally a circus out there," Giuseppe said as he embraced Estella. "There's Nonno's baby girl," he said as he reached for Sarah.

"Stay the hell away from my child," Damon yelled.

"Damon," Bonnie said shooting him a look.

"He's not coming near her. He only knows how to screw kids up."

"You're failures are no one's fault but your own," Giuseppe yelled.

"You promised," Estella said turning to him. "Don't start this."

"Your son is insulant and careless. The thought of him as a father to that little angel is mortifying and yet I'm the problem," Giuseppe said with an air of arrogance about him.

"You're the one that raised me ergo where I get it from, so as long as there is air in my lungs you are going to stay away from my kid."

"Damon can we talk?" Bonnie asked.

"No we can't" he said not glancing over at her.

"NOW!" she yelled.

"Fine," he said following her to the kitchen.

"This thing with you and your father needs to stop," Bonnie yelled.

"Stop?" Damon let out a dry laugh. "He killed me… The first time," he shrugged.

"You loved being a vampire. You're a grown man and a father act like it."

"It's the principle I'm doing what's best for Sarah, and you," he smiled.

"Sarah deserves all the family she can get. This house is full of people that care about her, and your dad is one of those people. Get a grip and apologize to him."

"Over my undead-dead body," he said pondering his words as he said them out loud.

"You're ridiculous you know that, and I can't believe that I'm tethered to such a selfish man child for all of eternity," She said nearly in tears she was so upset.

"Well maybe you'll think before you hold another guy's hand."

"I think I'm cured," she said storming out the door.

Damon took a few breaths and slowly realized he could have handled the past fifteen minutes of his life better. He looked at Sarah and he could tell she agreed. "Don't you dare look at me like that," he said smiling at her. The little girl gabbed his nose and laughed. "I wish playing who-got your nose could make daddy feel better too," he smiled. "But unfortunately for daddy, he won't be at ease until your very stubborn mother forgives him, which means we have apologizing to do." Sarah's face fell. "I know it's my least favorite thing to do too."

* * *

Soon the pair came out of the kitchen and found Giuseppe and Estella. "Here goes nothing kid." Damon said and Sarah give him a kiss on the cheek. He found himself smiling and he realized that his little girl did deserve everything Bonnie said and so much more. "Mother… Giuseppe."

Giuseppe turned as if he were going to leave, but Estella stopped him. "Yes Damon?"

"I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted. It means a lot to both Bonnie and I to have you two here for Sarah. She deserves all the love she can get. And I'd be a bad father if I denied her that."

"Thank you," Giuseppe said.

"Don't make me regret this moment," Damon warned.

"You won't," his mother said kissing him on the cheek. "Let me hold my sweet pea," she said taking Sarah from Damon.

Soon the little girl was being passed around the house and out in the back yard. Rudy arranged for a local petting zoo to bring a few animals and for pony rides. Giuseppe was responsible for the clowns and acrobats, and Shelia did a little parlor trick magic show that Sarah liked the most. "Go figure our daughter would eat up this poor excuse for a magic act," Damon said trying to get some kind of a reaction from Bonnie.

Bonnie for her part had fought everything inside of herself to talk to Damon. She had spent the majority of the night with Grams or her father. She didn't want Damon to think the way he dismissed her was okay. She wasn't going to reward him for trying. He didn't deserve a single word of her precious breath. Bonnie sucked in a breath and moved on to another part of the room. "Maybe next time you should just say I'm sorry and not insult her Grandmother," Mason said as he patted Damon on the back and handed him a drink.

"Why is my house full of people I don't want to see," he smiled.

"Because you knocked up an incredibly amazing woman and made a pretty great kid. How you did it is another story," Mason laughed.

"I mean it's obvious, I'm a catch."

"Like the flu," Mason laughed.

"Like a bonita fish."

"I still think you're more like the flu," he said toasting his glass against Damon's and finishing his drink.

"How long are you going to drink your sorrows away before you actually go over to her and I don't know say something?" Katherine asked.

"And are we sure this isn't hell?" Damon wondered aloud as Mason laughed.

"At least we both have significant others that won't murder us in our sleep tonight," Katherine said.

"She does have a point."

"I tried to talk to her, but she's in her judey Bonnie mood. It will pass," he shrugged.

"As long as you're okay with that."

"Look Kronk and Yzma I can handle Bonnie," he stressed.

"Is that why she turned down your proposal?" Mason asked making Damon choke on his drink.

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember how pathetic you looked New Year's Eve when you asked Bonnie to marry you and she said no in front of the whole town. It made the cover of the newspaper the next day."

"Why would she do that?"

"You asked her because you knocked her up. What kind of girl do you honestly think Bonnie is? Especially since you where pinning after that girl you met in college."

"Oh yeah the one that married his brother and they moved to Portland together," Mason reminded him.

"Well this has been a telling experience."

"Look I know I'm not the best for advice."

"So why start?" Damon asked.

"Well here I go anyway. Bonnie is still here for a reason. If she really didn't want to be with you, she would have stayed with her dad like he tried to order her, and stayed away from you. However she is living with you and raising your daughter like you're a big happy family. You have a chance to be something great for her, take it."

"That was scary it almost sounded like you cared," Damon said.

"I think she does," Mason laughed.

* * *

_Stefan heard a bottle break behind him and he knew he hit a nerve. It was hard to explain the adrenaline rush that came with the hum of the heart of man threating to kill him. He could already taste his blood like saltwater taffy on the boardwalk. The veins under his eyes grew dark and the man lunged at him with the broken glass. Stefan moved slightly to the left and grabbed the man's wrist hard. He turned his arm around breaking it and causing the three patrons and bartender to gasp. Stefan smiled a cold smile and ripped the man's arm off. _

Damon woke up panting for air. His heart was racing and he could still feel thick warm blood oozing down his throat. He needed it. The feeling, and feeling. Then he noticed Bonnie wasn't beside him. And there was the faint sound of a piano in the distance. He made his way down the corridor to the Bonnie playing the piano. He watched her for a moment taking in the sight of her engrossed in the piano as if nothing else in the world existed. He finally decided to join her and sat beside her on the piano bench. "Hey."

"Hey," he said not expecting her to be the first to speak. Then he noticed the light in her eyes. Had they always shined like that? Did she always smell like honey and berries? Did she always look at him with so much hope in her eyes?

"What are you staring at?" She asked.

"Were you always this… beautiful?" he asked.

"Wow," Bonnie said moving to get up, but he stopped her.

"It's too late for us to fight."

"I asked you to marry me on New Year's Eve," he smiled. "You told me you were pregnant on Christmas and I made up my mind to ask you to marry me. I knew you would say no, but I didn't think you'd slap me and throw champagne in my face, which thinking back on it you had no business with."

"It was yours. You told me to hold it for a sec. Then you got down on one knee and asked me to be more than your baby mama," she snorted. They laughed. "It was a pretty big ring I'd give you that," she said.

"Isn't this weird?" he asked. "It's like being two people at once?"

"Grams said soon we'll remember less and less of our lives before. We'll remember bits and pieces of everyone so when they dye they can be mixed into our lives."

"I remember wanting you to say yes more than anything I've ever wanted. And it never really happened," he said putting a piece of her hair behind her ear. "I want this to work for more than Sarah. I want us to be happy, but you were right." He said causing her to look up at him.

"About what?"

"I don't know how I did it, but I think Stefan needs me. He's gone off the deep end and I promised I'd be there for him. I've failed more times than I can count, so I owe him."

"So you want to go back?" she asked.

"Yeah," he smiled, however Bonnie didn't seem as excited as he thought she'd be. "Is something wrong?"

"We can't go back. I talked to Grams, and Sarah can't exist without us _both_ being here," she confessed.

"So I can't help my brother," he said.

Bonnie placed her hand on his and the met eyes. "We're going to help Stefan I promise, just not the way we originally thought."


	3. Chapter 3

Bonnie needed to get as much help on this project as possible. She knew how fragile the paradigm between the world of the living and dead was now with the destruction of the veil. There was nothing to stop supernaturals from entering in to the afterlife. However, the world she was in had a power of its own. It had the capability of implanting you into the lives of your gone loved ones as if nothing happened. It could recreate memories and create new ones. Somehow it managed to create a new life out of Bonnie and Damon's conjoined hands.

Bonnie mixed up some herbs and oils in a boiling cauldron. She made sure to keep an eye on Sarah who kept picking up pieces of basil and rosemary trying to eat them of throw them in the pot. "How many time am I going to tell you to put that down?" she asked looking out the corner of her eye at Sarah.

The little girl put down the bay leaf she had and picked up a Cheerio as if she had done nothing wrong. "You and Damon are taking a break from each other. He's a bad influence on you and you're only two."

"I know I'm old school but this I a little too medieval if you ask me," Questyiah said as she came into the kitchen with Grams.

"I didn't know if any of the newer spells would work so I searched forever and found a spell by Milcah that allow you to enter someone's dreams. I think if Damon can talk to Stefan and give him some closure things could work out," Bonnie said being hopeful.

"I hope so. There isn't much else we can do," Grams said.

"I still don't understand why you guys don't try and go to Portland and see if he's okay if Damon is so concerned," Questyiah said as she added more sage and a bit of hazel nut oil.

"I-I don't want to leave Sarah and I want her to get over her cold a little more before we think of taking her anywhere," Bonnie lied. Questyiah still didn't know about the collapse of the other side or that she created it. She didn't seem too concerned about Silas and the seam for Katherine and Stefan.

"We will take care of her just fine if you guys want to go. At some point she's going to have friends and start school, and she won't be under your pretty little thumb anymore," Questyiah warned.

"Well, I want to enjoy it while it last," She said as she picked up Sarah. "Isn't that right sweetness," she said as Sarah give her a kiss. Bonnie set Sarah down and she ran out of the kitchen.

* * *

Damon woke up on the couch to tiny hands slapping him in the face. "Great what is it now," he asked a he opened his eyes. Sarah was on top of him and her eyes were glistening, obsidian, orbs. Under them were dark, protruding veins. She had long fangs in her mouth as she hissed at him. Damon woke with a jolt. He looked over to see Sarah holding her Sippy cup and looking at him.

"Roar," she giggled at him.

Damon wasn't sure of what just happened, but he was sure Sarah did. "What are you trying to tell me," he asked as he picked her up. Sarah tried to put her hand in his mouth and roared again. "I don't want to think about where you put those hands before you put them in my mouth, but let's play a new game."

"You're awake," Bonnie said as she rounded the corner.

"Yup that I am," he smiled at her.

"I'm going to check out the town a little bit, you mind if I take Sarah with me?" he asked.

"I think you two might need some time apart," she laughed as Sarah roared at Damon.

"Is someone jealous?"

"Not really. Watch this," Bonnie said taking Sarah's cup. "Um mommy's juice is so good," she said teasing Sarah. "Yummy."

"Coop," Sarah said and in a blink of an eye the cup was back in her hand and she was drinking from it.

"She can talk?" Damon said seeming more impressed with that.

"She has powers already," she stressed.

"Duh she's my daughter, us Salvatores are made of greatness," he said kissing her forehead. "Isn't that right Minnie Me."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Bonnie groaned under her breath.

"What was that?" Damon said looking up at her.

"I made a potion that will let you make contact with Stefan we can try it out tonight when you get back in," she smiled.

"Thanks Bon," he smiled at her.

"Don't mention it," she said kissing Sarah. "Let's finish breakfast and let Damon get ready for your day out," she said taking Sarah.

* * *

"Stefan it's been weeks you need to come home," Elena stressed. "We know you want to find a way to bring Damon and Bonnie back, but we found a way to get back into Mystic Falls. Call when you get this," she said and hung up the phone.

"No luck?" Caroline asked.

"None, but Enzo said he could find him, so we have that," Elena said as she sat on her bed in their dorm. The girls looked over at Bonnie's empty bed and sighed.

"How's Jeremy," Caroline said whipping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"He's doing better. He and Matt are coming home from where ever they went with Rebekah and the…"

"Baby. You can say it. It's not like I'm in love with Klaus," she smiled.

"I know I just… I wish we had a little more hope. If Alaric can get the witches to remove the anti-magic border we can go home, but we still don't know if they're still out there somewhere. I can't believe they're gone."

* * *

"You know fixing your mess is rather tiring don't you think?" Enzo asked as he walked in the bar Stefan just tore apart. "I get it you mess him, but you're not the only one."

"Great is that all?" Stefan asked as he drink his bourbon.

"No it's not all. Your pretty little friends want me to bring you home."

"There's no home to go to."

"We'll Alaric is good for something, unlike you. He found out about a coven that can get us into Mystic Falls all we have to do is ask."

"Good luck," Stefan said patting Enzo on the back.

"You're coming with me wither you like it or not," Enzo yelled.

Stefan sped over to him and punched him in the face. "Nothing gives you the right to come in here and act like you feel an ounce of what I feel. I didn't just loss a friend or two I lost the three most amazing people I've ever meant. I wasn't supposed to come back without them. That wasn't the plan," he yelled.

"How do you think we all feel? Elena's a mess, Caroline is in denial, Jeremy is a drunken mess, and don't get me started on Tyler and Matt. You may have lost more than everyone, but you're not in this alone. You're not the only one hurting. So stop being a dick and come home," Enzo said walking to the door.

* * *

"Hey, that smells good," Bonnie said as she came into the kitchen. She was soaking wet because it started pouring on her the second she made it on the block.

"Where were you all day?" Damon asked as he fixed her plate.

"Shopping with Lexi and Anna. Apparently she and Mason are married and they have a daughter too. I also ran into Greta and Luca that was awkward," she laughed.

"I called you," he smiled.

"Yeah I never charged my phone which I should do," she said getting her phone out of her bag.

"Just wait. Come with me," he said reaching for her hand.

"Why what's wrong?"

"Oh, you'll only believe it if you see it," Damon said leading her into the cellar. "The power went out for a second, so I came down here and there was this key. And the only thing with a lock was that refrigerator. So I open it and guess what I find?" he asked with a smug smile.

"I don't know Damon what did you find," Bonnie said annoyed and hungry.

"Blood," he said opening it and showing her all the blood bags.

"What the hell is that?" she questioned as she picked one up.

"I guess your witch traits aren't the only thing that carry over," Damon smirked.

"Get rid of this all of this," Bonnie yelled at him.

"Look I can be a vampire again. First I thought I had to drink the blood to activate it, but that was disgusting and didn't work in my favor, but I think you have to kill me."-

"What?!" Bonnie yelled.

"Yeah I die, I wake up, I drink and tadah I'm me again."

"Damon, no. I'm not doing that."

"C'mon what' the worst that could happen, judgy? It's not like you haven't wanted to kill me for the past five years," he said.

"I'm not doing it end of discussion," she said.

"Look judgy you get to be who you are all I'm asking for is the same chance."

"And if it doesn't work?" Bonnie asked.

"It will."

"How do you know? What if this isn't what you think? What if you die here and never come back, Damon, what then?!" She yelled at him.

"You have your powers there's a hospital somewhere we'll figure out something," he shrugged.

"No Damon," she said stomping up the stairs.

Damon's jaw ticked and he followed after her. "So just because I want to take a chance and do something daring you're just going to shut me out. No discussion, no finding a way, it's just over."

"Yes," Bonnie said plugging her phone in and sitting at the table.

"Really Bonnie, I remember being open to trying to find out more on getting out of here, and even if I weren't you still did it anyway."

"This is different," she yelled.

"How?" he yelled.

"Damon if you die than that's it for not just you, but Sarah too," she said tears falling from her eye, "You're not going to make me do this alone," she said on a soft whisper.

"Bon," he started as she got up and went upstairs.

* * *

"Bonnie," Damon said coming into their bedroom. "I warmed you up something to eat."

"Thanks," she said reading her book.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think about the consequences of me being wrong about this," he said holding her gaze. "I know you're scared, I am too, but I need to try."

"Please, just think about it," Bonnie said. "Just let me look for another way," Bonnie begged.

"Careful Bon I might start to think you care."

"I do," she confessed. "I care about you."

"I care about you too," he said. They smiled at each other and Bonnie grabbed his hand. Damon wanted to kiss her. He wanted to more than he thought possible. He found it painful to try and take his eyes off her plump lips. He licked his lips.

"I should get the potion," Bonnie said getting up.

"Yeah thanks for that."

"You're welcome," she said handing him the veil. "Sweet dream," she smiled.

"You too."

* * *

**Hello Thanks for reading. Next chapter will be more about Stefan and the others. I don't know what I want to do with Stefan yet, but I'm sure Damon and Bonnie are going to stay where they are. Him joining them would be great, but not sure on it. Can't wait to get started on the next chapter let me know what you guys think. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry about the end I am, but their is still a chapter or two left if that will make you guys not hate me as much. **

* * *

Stefan sat out on the grounds of the Salvatore summer home. It was a beautiful colonial, on a back dirt road in southern Florida. He remembered the long rides there and how he and Damon would bicker and fight as children. As they got older they both found ways of entertaining themselves. Damon with his girl companions and Stefan with his books. There were those few times Damon would join him in his reading. Damon had a secret love of astrology so Stefan always kept a book or two around on the subject. Stefan watched the night sky and felt the air shift. He turned behind him and saw Damon looking around.

"This is what you dream about?" the older Salvatore tsked. "Where are the girls, the booze, not even a little Peter Cottontail? You're really lost without me?"

"You're not usually this snarky," Stefan said.

"That's because I don't usually invade your dreams," he said. Stefan got up and stood before him.

"Yeah well whatever."

Damon look over his little brother and winced at the pain he saw. He knew Stefan was hurting, but he never imagined this much. "Bonnie sent me here to help you. I'm really here," Damon said embracing his brother.

A calm washed over Stefan while he and Damon embraced. He knew I was him and a million question swim in his mind. They pulled back and looked each other in the eye. "Where are you?"

"I don't really know, Shelia calls it the Afterlife."

"Shelia Bennett?"

"Yes, she made away for Bonnie to find peace, and somehow Bonnie brought me with her."

"So there hast to be away to get you guys out," Stefan reasoned.

Damon looked at Stefan and wished he could preserve the hope in his eyes. "There isn't." Stefan took a step back. "I'm gone Stefan. There's nothing we can do about that."

"No!" Stefan yelled. Damon looked at him with wide eyed. "You're here right now, that means there's away. There is always away," Stefan yelled.

"Look even if I wanted to there is no way I can," Damon said. "I'm going to show you something. I think." He looked around. "This is a dream so let's Inception this bitch." Damon thought about where he wanted to go and soon they were on a beach.

"You want to show me your paradise," Stefan said as he looked around the tropical terrain.

"No this isn't what I meant. Bonnie didn't give me direction so I'm winging it," Damon tried again and soon they were in the boarding house. "Okay so there she is."

Stefan looked on as Estelle played with a little girl. "Is that mother?" he asked not believing his eyes.

"Yeah and that's Sarah."

"Is she like our long lost sister?"

"No she's my daughter, mine and Bonnie," Damon said watching Stefan's expression harden.

"How is that possible?" Stefan asked.

"We don't know. I was holding her hand when the other side was crashing down around us and all I remember is a bright light and I woke up to Sarah screaming in my ear," Damon laughed. "Come on," Damon said as they walked into the room.

"She looks just like Bonnie," Stefan said smiling down at the little girl.

"You want to hold your niece," Estella asked Stefan.

Stefan looked to Damon who nodded his agreement. Stefan picked Sarah up and he instantly feel in love with the little girl. Her eyes were so blue. A mirror of his brother's and mother's. "Hi," Stefan smiled at her.

"She might head but you she almost broke Mason's nose, so watch out for that. Say hi to uncle Broody," Damon teased.

"Don't teacher her that. Bonnie will kill you," Estella said as she got out of her chair. "Bye," She said kissing her sons. "Behave."

"I'm still surprised Bonnie hasn't killed you yet," Stefan teased.

"We have a child. She loves me," Damon said making Stefan laugh. "She does. Here we are pretty much together. Somehow this place finds a way to create a new life for you and the people you love that find peace. Bonnie has her dad and Grams, and she won't admit it, but she's really happy. She really is."

"Are you happy?"

"I am," Damon said as he stroked Sarah's head. "If I weren't here Sarah wouldn't exist, and I love her more than I've ever loved anything," he said in awe. "I really feel like a dad, she's my world. And Bonnie's the sun."

"What about Elena?"

"Here she is with you. You guys live in Portland," Damon smiled.

"What about Lexi?" Stefan asked.

"She upgraded actually, she and Bonnie are getting really close. She's pissed at me for not making it back in time," he said.

"Did you do it on purpose?" Stefan asked.

"What?" Damon asked.

"You and Caroline were the only ones to know Bonnie was dying. She didn't tell Jeremy until it was too late. Did you stay on purpose?"

"I knew there was a chance I wasn't going to make it back. That's way I didn't want Elena to come. I knew Bonnie was weak and couldn't survive all of us going through her. I wanted all of us to make it," he smiled.

"Liv was dying and Luke stopped her. You would have made it if he didn't," Stefan informed him.

"Well what do you know?"

"Elena killed him," Stefan confessed. "I wish it was me that did, but she ripped his heart out."

"How is she?" he found himself asking.

"Lost without you and Bonnie. I honestly don't know how she does it, but she just keeps going on. She lost it a few times, but she's as good as can be expected."

"Take care of her," Damon said.

"You can't just let this be it," Stefan cried.

"Stef, there is nothing that can be done. If I leave Sarah dies and I can't let that happen. I can't lose her," Damon said stroking her face. Sarah fell asleep a few moments after Estella left.

"I need you brother," Stefan admitted.

"You're going to be okay. Cry, have a few one night stands. Comfort Elena and Caroline, find a hobby or two, and you'll be fine. I know you will. You are the strong one," Damon said and the house started to shake and shatter. "I have to go," Damon said as Sarah faded away.

"You can't just leave."

"I love you, and I'm proud of you."

"Damon," Stefan yelled as he shot up in bed. He was in his motel room covered in the blood of the girl he killed the night before. The girl still lay on the floor. He got out of bed and started to clean the room.

* * *

"Bonnie you need to do something with your life. Sarah isn't going to be little much longer. Soon she'll start school and being a homemaker wasn't what your mother and I wanted for you," Rudy said as Bonnie fixed breakfast.

"Dad I don't want to be a talent scout. I want to be here for Sarah," Bonnie stressed.

"You're good at it. You could own your own music label if you took a business class or two," he pointed out.

"You missed a lot when you were out working," Bonnie said.

"I just know that you wanted more than that before he stole your innocence," Rudy said making Bonnie laugh. "The boy has you in here making him breakfast and living in sin."

"Daddy please," Bonnie said.

"Let's not pretend like you're not still sleeping with the boy."

"We're not sleeping together," Bonnie groaned.

"Yeah and I'm Donald Trump."

"So it really is bald under there. I knew it," Damon said as he came into the kitchen.

"Well I guess my secret's out," Rudy said as Bonnie gave him a warning look.

"We're going to the circus today so you're on your own for lunch," Bonnie said as Damon made plates for everyone.

"Alright, I'll make dinner again," he smiled at her. "Are you going to be joining us Grampy?" Damon teased.

"Not tonight," he smiled.

"It's a shame we all love when you try and tell us how to live our lives," Damon said.

"Damon stop."

"Why should I he never listens to you?" Damon said. "She's young and driven. She just wants to take care of Sarah and that's enough for her now. If she wants to do something else later on that's her choice, and if she doesn't that's her choice."

"I'm sure we all know which you'd prefer," Rudy smiled at him.

"I support Bonnie no matter what she chooses to do."

"Is that why you made her move out and be a "stay at home mom" in your little trophy case?"

"Daddy could you get Sarah washed up I think she's done eating?" Bonnie asked trying to calm the situation.

"Fine," Rudy said picking Sarah up. "This discussion isn't over."

"Great," Damon said with a condescending smile. "He is lucky he's dead cause I'd kill him," Damon said as he poured them coffee.

"He's just worried about me. He wants me to be happy, and being alone is driving him crazy," she said with a soft smile.

"And you kind of like the irony," he smiled.

"He wants me to be his partner and he wants us to spend more time together," she smiled. "I missed him being around. I forget how much I shut him out before, because I didn't want him to worry or fight about me using magic. Everything's just simple here."

"If you want to go on the road with your dad, we'll figure it out," Damon reassured her.

"I'm not leaving you two alone," Bonnie laughed.

"I'm fully capable of taking care of my daughter," Damon reminded her.

Bonnie leaned in and whispered. "You've been a father for two weeks let's not get ahead of ourselves, and what are you going to do when you're at work doing whatever it is that you do?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm the boss if I want a day off then I'll take it."

"No Damon," Bonnie said.

"Okay," he said letting it go.

"How was your talk with Stefan? Did the potion work?" Bonnie asked.

"It worked and he was a mess. I think he'll get to a good place soon, but he's really lost," Damon said feeling raw again. Bonnie placed her hand on his, and he looked up to see her warm smile. "Thank you for that."

"Anytime," she smiled and ate her food.

* * *

Bonnie and Lexi were taking Sarah to get her ears pierced and Damon knew he was making a grave mistake, but he needed to do this. He loaded the gun sure that he was doing the right thing. He'd have the mess cleaned before Bonnie got home, and then he could greet her with a big fat I told you so. But the rational part of his mind reminded him, that she could very well be right. "Here goes nothing," he swallowed and pulled the trigger.

* * *

"She looks so adorable with the hoops," Lexi said as she held the door open.

"I know my Grams is going to give me hell about this, but they are so," Bonnie stopped as she walked into the kitchen and saw a foot. She walked around the island and she saw Damon. "No!" she yelled.

"Bonnie," Lexi yelled as she ran into the kitchen.

"Take Sarah," Bonnie said Sarah was crying and Bonnie needed to check Damon's pulse.

"Oh God," Lexi said as she saw Damon. She grabbed Sarah and took the girl out of the room. Lexi pulled out her phone and called for an ambulance.

"You better not die you idiot," Bonnie said as she gave Damon CPR. "Please don't die," she begged him. She felt for his pulse, but it was still weak. She wasn't giving up though. She wasn't going to do it alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**So I know I said this would have five parts, but their will be at least one more chapter. One of these days I'll learn how to make a one-shot lol. Thank for all of your reviews I totally appreciate them and they defiantly keep me going. Thanks again and Happy reading.**

* * *

Stefan sat upon the clock tower and looked out over the town. He didn't know how painful being home would be. Everywhere he turned was a memory of Damon. For some reason Elena found that comforting, and Caroline thought there was hope of bringing Damon and Bonnie back. Stefan didn't have the nerve to tell Elena what he saw. He barely understood what happened. He didn't know if it was real. Alaric told him it was stress, and Caroline said it was grief. But Stefan knew, the moment he woke up, that Damon was truly gone.

Stefan took a sip from a bottle of bourbon Damon had hidden in his room. It was a quarter to four and his ring lay beside him. Stefan looked down wondering if he should just put it back on. It didn't take long for his thoughts to shift and his eyes went back on the view.

Caroline had told him once that he was too serious. Elena in her emotion-less state told him he cared too much. Enzo clearly thought he was a melodramatic drama queen. And everyone else thought he was the good brother. But the thing was. He wasn't just one of those things. He was all of them. He only wanted to spend eternity with his brother. Even if it was a miserable one. Now that Damon was gone what really was there to live for?

* * *

Sirens sounded as the Lexi reentered the room. "Bonnie we need to hide the gun," Lexi said.

Bonnie sat in a catatonic state of shock. Every word out of Lexi's mouth was dragged out in slow motion making it hard to understand. All she felt was numb. Damon promised her they would find another way. He swear that Sarah meant the world to him and that she was his first priority. He said that how wanted things to work. How could that happen if he wasn't there? How could he just leave?

"Bonnie sweetie listen to me. I need the gun," Lexi said.

Bonnie looked down again and cloaked the gun with magic. "Can you take Sarah to my Grams? I'll call her and let her know you're coming," Bonnie said giving Lexi her car keys.

"Yeah and I'll get to the hospital as quickly as possible," Lexi said getting up and rushing to the door. "The paramedics entered and started working on Damon.

* * *

Bands of gold started to line the horizon. Stefan grip on his bottle tightened. In 167 years he hadn't know a feeling like this. This deep despair. He had always found a way to deflect this feeling. If it meant turning it off that was what he was going to do. But there was nowhere to run. He wasn't going to happen upon Damon one day in a bar. He wasn't going to get a visit from Lexi on his next birthday. He wouldn't hear another one of Bonnie's sarcastic jokes that only he got. They were gone. So there was only one choice for him. Only one way he could get rid of the pain. One way to find peace. One way to find his purpose.

* * *

Bonnie paced around the waiting room. She had never felt so isolated and alone. The doctors ordered her away from Damon not too long after they got to the hospital. She had asked a million nurses how he was doing, but no one would tell her anything. She called her dad and Grams, and Lexi was getting Estella and Giuseppe. She couldn't think of a single spell to help them. She couldn't think about anything, but how she could possibly be losing Damon. No matter how much they said they hated each other, no matter how much they hurt and abused the other, there was respect. Somewhere that respect turned to like. And now. She just couldn't handle the thought of this being the end.

"Bon," Rudy called to her.

Bonnie turned to see her family and friends. She ran to her dad and he wrapped his arms around her. "He was covered in blood," she cried. "I can't loss him."

"You're not losing anything," Estella said.

"Are you Damon Salvatore's family," the doctor asked.

Bonnie turned to the woman and tried to compose herself. "Yes," she said.

"And you are."

"She's his wife," Estella said.

"Very well," the doctor said looking down at Damon's chart.

"Mrs. Salvatore your husband came in with a huge wound to his abdomen. His stomach was punctured and acid slowly started to leak out. We were able to close the wounds and preserve his vital organs. At the moment Mr. Salvatore's heartrate is fluctuating at a rapid pace alone with his blood pressure. We'd like to keep him overnight for observation, but he is insisting on leaving"-

-"He's awake?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes and he's responsive. A little too responsive," the doctor added.

"That sounds like my son."

"Can I see him?" she asked.

"Yes, I was hoping you could convince him to stay and do the testing. We can't hold him if he refuse treatment, but he'll be right back in here if we don't monitor his heart," she smiled.

"I'll make sure he understands how serious this is," Bonnie said.

"Great," the doctor said leading Bonnie to Damon's room.

* * *

The sun was finally in the sky and flames quickly engulfed Stefan. The burning hurt like hell, but the flames were comforting. They were a metaphor for the life he was leaving behind. A life that was over 150 years ago. Stefan didn't know where he'd end up, but it couldn't be any worse than from where he started. He was going to peace. His time was long up.

* * *

Bonnie paused at the door unsure of what she would find. She sucked in her fear and turned the door knob. Damon sat as a nurse hooked him up to a heart rate monitor. He was shamelessly flirting with the nurse even though she looked older than dirt. "Bonnie," Damon smiled. "I was just telling Ms. Loffman about you and Sarah."

"She too sweet looking for you," Ms. Loffman said.

"After enough drinks there's nothing sweet about her," he joked.

"Damon," Bonnie huffed.

"Sorry," he laughed.

"I'll leave you two alone," Ms. Loffman said. "Don't you give her any trouble."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Damon laughed as she left.

Bonnie walked over and sat on the bed. She studied his face looking for any sign that something could be wrong. He looked a little pale, but god only knows how much blood he lost. She looked in his eyes to see if he was still all there, and he seemed to be in good spirits. "You're okay," Bonnie said once her assessment was over.

"You can say that again. For a second I was like grr," he moaned and made a face, "Bonnie was right, but now I feel great. "I feel better than great," He said vamping out for effect. "Now all I need is for you to nab me a blood bag and we can go home."

"I'm not going to do that," Bonnie said.

"Come on Bon," he sighed. "This place is practically deserted."

"You shot yourself Damon. After we agreed that we'd find another way you did this," Bonnie yelled.

Damon knew she would be upset with him, but he really hoped they could skip that part. "I know I promised, but this is me Bonnie. I wouldn't ask you to be any less of a witch," he yelled.

"I don't care. You put more than your life on the line Damon. What if Sarah was hurt? What if this affects her?"

"Bonnie everything is fine. I'm fine that's all that matters," he yelled

"No. No you aren't getting off that easily. I walked in and saw you bleeding to death on the floor. You were dying and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't think of a spell to save you. I could barely think. Sarah saw you. Do you have any idea how much that hurt? How alone I felt? Does any of that mean a thing to you?" Bonnie yelled.

"Bonnie it does," he said putting his hand on her thigh. "It means a lot to me, but it's over."

"Not it's not over, Damon. I love you how can you just say that. I almost lost you for good, and all you can say is that it's over," she yelled. She didn't mean to just blurt all of that out. She didn't mean to tell him she loved him, but she did. She loved him and it was heard to hide it. "Don't you ever do anything like that again?"

Damon pulled Bonnie in by the back of her neck and kissed her slow, but hard. He pulled her close so she could feel his passion. He never had anyone care so deeply about him. He never had anyone so freely admit to loving him and not try to manipulate him, or pacify him. "I'm sorry," he said pulling away, but resting his hand gently on her cheek. "I'm so sorry Bonnie."

"I have to go. Stop being such a pain and stay here for the night," Bonnie said as she got up to leave Damon's room. "I'll grab a blood bag for you and send it in with Lexi."

Before Damon could comment Bonnie was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**If you haven't noticed by now i'm a liar. This isn't the last chapter. I'm going to stop saying that lol. Please enjoy this even though I didn't edit it (sorry again) and please review. I'm going to post the rest sometime this week so the ending will come soon. lol love you guys.**

* * *

Bonnie scrubbed the tile on the floor vigorously. She didn't know what else to do. Grams insisted on keeping Sarah for the night. Lexi was still at the hospital with the Salvatores, and she was all alone in her big house. For some reason the five bedroom split didn't feel so big with Damon and Sarah home. She cleaned ever room, top to bottom, and the kitchen was the last on her list. Damon's blood lay on the floor and she couldn't get it up. She tried everything vinegar, bleach, scrubbing bubbles. She couldn't get it out.

Bonnie wiped her brow in defeat and decided she needed a snack. Or maybe a glass of wine. She just really needed to get the edge off something to keep her mind moving off of the fact that Damon Salvatore kissed her. He kissed her and she enjoyed it. It wasn't just the part of her that felt like it belonged there. She wanted it. She loved him. Bonnie decided that maybe wine wasn't strong enough and pulled out the bourbon.

"Oh great you're having a party," Katherine said as she entered the kitchen. She grabbed glasses out of the cabinet for the both of them.

"How did you get in here?" Bonnie wondered as she sat across from Katherine at the kitchen table.

"I barrowed Qets' key," She said as she poured them both generous amounts of bourbon. "Seems like your husband is a sensitive moron," Katherine mumbled.

"We're not married," Bonnie yelled.

"So is that why he tried to kill himself. We all know how he gets," she smiled.

"No it's complicated and I just don't want to talk about it," Bonnie said as she sunk into her seat.

The girl silently drank for a moment before Katherine spoke up. "I was actually a little happy when Qetsiyah said he was okay," she laughed. "It scared me a little."

"I told Damon I love him," Bonnie blurted out. Normally this was a Caroline problem, but she wasn't around and Lexi was handling things at the hospital and Katherine was the closest thing to a friend she had in her moment of need. "He kissed me."

"You say that as if it's a problem," Katherine shrugged.

"It is," Bonnie stressed.

"Did you mean it?" Katherine questioned.

"Yeah that's the problem."

"That's hardly a problem. You two have been living together for two years and you have a kid together, it would be weird if you felt nothing for him."

"I'm supposed to feel nothing for him, I hate Damon Salvatore. He is a vile human being. And he's in love with my best friend."

"The one that broke his heart and ran off with his brother. Yeah I don't think she's too worried about him. You need to let go of all of that. It's the past. Right here and right now you love Damon and he is madly in love with you."

"He's not."

"Bonnie, he is. He looks at you like you hung the stars in the sky, and all that tried old crap. And you choose to be here for a reason. You knew a part of you belonged here with him."

"What's going to happen when she comes back? What if they are really meant to be together were does that leave me?" Bonnie asked.

"You can't let that hold you back from living your life Bonnie. If the girl really wanted to be with him, she'd be here. If he really wanted her as bad as you think he'd be with her. Do you remember the last time he mentioned her?" Katherine waited. "See, stop worrying about what if and focus on what is now and real."

"Thanks," Bonnie said pouring herself another glass.

"Anytime," Katherine said holding her cup out for a refill.

* * *

"So you're the world's biggest idiot," Lexi said walking into Damon's hospital room with a paper cup. "Here's your blood as promised."

Lexi sat in the chair next to his bed as Damon gulped down the blood. "You're free to go," he smiled at her.

"I told Bonnie I'd keep an eye on you just encase something goes wrong," she sighed.

"Well I don't need a babysitter," he said narrowing his eyes at her.

"Bonnie doesn't think so and neither do I. How could you do something so stupid?" she questioned.

"You don't understand, and you never will," Damon yelled.

"Try me," she shrugged.

"I don't have to explain myself to you," he shrugged. "And if you don't mind I'd like to spend the rest of my sentence in this hellhole alone."

"You scared the crap out of Bonnie and Sarah, Damon. And you don't even know why," she laughed.

"Again, get the hell out Lexi."

"You're pathetic. It would be her luck that Bonnie has to share her afterlife with you," Lexi laughed as she opened the door, and saw a crowd of people leading a gurney down the hall with Stefan on it. "Stefan," she said running out of the door to him.

Damon got out of bed and rushed out of the room. He saw the top of Stefan's head and knew that hair anywhere. "What happened to him?" he said grabbing a nurse and compelling her.

"He was found on the side of the road with really bad burns," she said and rushed into the room, Stefan was taken in.

"I'll call Bonnie," Lexi said.

* * *

Bonnie and Katherine danced around the dining room to Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It" when Damon entered the house. He took in the sight of Bonnie carelessly enjoying herself and singing alone to the words. "What's love got to do, got to do with it, What's love but a sweet old fashioned notion What's love got to do, got to do with it, Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken," she sing dancing in perfect time. Damon could smell the bourbon from the porch and knew then that he was in far too deep. He expected a pissed off drunken Bonnie no this.

"Damon," she laughed as she turned to see him by the door. "You're a vampire again," she screamed.

"Ssh," he said grabbing her as she stumbled over to him.

"Oh Katherine doesn't know, I forgot," she laughed. "I think I'm a little drunk."

"You don't say," Damon said as Katherine passed out on the couch.

"I guess I'm not as drunk as Kat," she said wrapping her arms around him and taking in his scent. "I missed you," she said nestling her head against his chest.

"Look I need you to sober up, let's get some water," he said leading her to the kitchen.

"Stefan needs you to be sober right now," he said sitting her down.

"Stefan is this a dream?"

"Bonnie how much did you drink?" Damon asked as he examined her.

"Not enough to forget I love you," she said getting up and stumbling away.

"Hey where are you going?" Damon asked stopping her.

"Bed," she said continuing to the staircase.

Damon watched as Bonnie slowly and carefully made her way up the steps and called the next best witch he knew. "What are you calling for Damon?" Qetsiah demanded.

"I need your help Bonnie is intoxicated thanks to your girlfriend," Damon said looking back at Katherine.

"Give her some water and let her sleep it off," She groaned into the phone.

"That's the least of my problems. I need you to take your magic cook book down to the hospital. My brother was in an accident and he needs a witch."

"Damon it will be okay," she said.

"Look I just need to to make a potion or do a spell that will heal his burns that's it. Please," he asked.

"Fine meet me at the hospital in an hour," she grunted.

"Thank you," he said. Damon ended the call and mad his way up to Bonnie. He opened her bedroom door to see her struggling to take off her pants. Damon walked in and ordered her to sit on the bed. He pulled the pant leg off of her ankle and Bonnie removed her shirt. She didn't have on a bra and Damon tried hard to keep his eyes away. While she put on her tee shirt. "I'm going back to the hospital to help Stefan. Call me if you need me and please drink some water," he said caressing her face then raising to leave.

"Bonnie stopped him and he looked down at her. She stood and kissed him. "Yes," she said finally.

"Yes to what?" he asked.

"I'll marry you, if you want me to," she said.

"Bonnie just rest," he said.

"I really love you Damon. And I want us to be a family," she confessed. "And it's not just this me it's all of me that loves you."

Damon hugged her and kissed the crown of her head. "I really love you too, all of me," he said. "I'll be home soon."

"Bye," she said and kissed his cheek.


	7. Chapter 7

Damon met Lexi outside of Stefan's hospital room. "Did anything change?" Damon asked as he looked in on his brother.

"No," Lexi said. "Where's Bonnie?"

"Kathrine got her drunk. They're both past out at my place," he said.

Lexi let out a frustrated groan. "So what are we going to do?"

"I took care of it. Qetsiyah is going to help him," he said just as the witch appeared.

"I hope you pulled me out of bed for a good reason," she said walking toward Lexi and Damon.

* * *

Damon spent the better half or the next two hours giving Qetsiyah the rundown of their situation. He was sure he broke a million rules by telling her he, Lexi, Bonnie, and Stefan weren't supposed to be in their universe. He left out as much as he could about her creating the other side and making Bonnie the anchor, but she seemed well versed in how all of that would work. She was working on something mixing medicine and herbs. "So in this other world were you're really from you and Bonnie hate each other?" Qetsiyah questioned with a smirk.

They were in the kitchen of the hospital after Damon compelled the staff out. Lexi was keeping watch on Stefan who was conscious after Qetsiyah's spell. It hadn't healed him completely. "Yeah I'm actually the one with Elena," he laughed.

"So you say," Qetsiyah was skeptical of his story, with reason. He sounded crazy. "I've seen how you looked at Bonnie before you came here and you love her."

"And you think she loves me," he laughed.

"Not every answer is as clear as the first, but it doesn't make it wrong," she smiled at him.

"Well it's not real. Here that's what you guys expect from us so that's who we are around you," he smiled.

"Seems like you're not trying to convince me," she said turning back to the boiling pot before her.

"I don't think I'm in love with Bonnie," he said with a wince at the lie that left his lips. Qetsiyah merely snorted laughed and poured her potion into a container. "Look things are complicated. We were both in love with other people. We couldn't stand one another, and then we died together. The next thing I know there's a two year old screaming in my ear, and Bonnie's confessing her love for me, and I kissed her. That was so stupid," he yelled at himself.

"Did it feel stupid when it happened?" Qetsiyah said walking towards the door.

"No," Damon confessed his voice barely above a whisper. "But I just don't know if it was really me, it was instinct."

"Then it must have been you," Qetsiyah said as they walked into the elevator. "Instincts are one of those things you can always trust. There our way of doing what we feel without worrying about why we feel it."

"I guess," Damon said as they walked to Stefan's room.

* * *

Caroline paced the floor. Everything was falling apart. Stefan was missing and it just didn't feel right. Yeah he had spent the better half of the last few months in solitude, but he came home. He was also renewing his interest in finding Bonnie and Damon. Caroline searched the boarding house again. Stefan had to be home. She looked down at her phone as it buzzed in her hand. She became annoyed when it wasn't Stefan. "What do you want Enzo, I'm kinda busy at the moment."

"Well I'm sure you're going to want to come and see what I've found, well who I found."

"Stefan," she said and raced out of the house to the car. All she could think about on her way to meet Enzo were how many ways she could call Stefan a dumbass. "I'm going to kill you Stefan Salvatore," she yelled. She speed at vampire speed through the woods to where Enzo was. "Where is he?" she asked once she slowed.

"Look he," Enzo said as she noticed the pile of ash and soot in front of him.

"No," she whispered. "No Enzo. No! That's not," she started but her voice cracked as she started to cry.

Enzo grabbed her and hugged her. "I found this in a bottle cap," he said giving her Stefan's ring.

"No he can't be gone," she said as Elena and Alaric appeared.

"What is she talking about?" Elena asked.

"Stefan was on the roof of the clock-tower in city hall this morning without his ring on," Enzo said filling her and Alaric in.

"No he wouldn't do that. We were going to bring Damon and Bonnie back," she yelled.

"Elena he didn't think there was a way to bring them back," Alaric confessed. "He couldn't move on."

"No, I need him. We need him," she cried.

"It's going to be okay," Ric said as he held her.

"How can you say that? They're gone. They're all gone," she said falling to the ground and sobbing.

* * *

The sun came shining through Bonnie's window burning her skin. Though her eyes where still closed it was blinding her still. Bonnie tried to turn around but he was trapped in two strong arms. Soon they pulled her in close and fear moved through her. She felt him nuzzle her hair, his hard chest against her back, and his little friend stabbing her butt cheek.

"Damon," Bonnie said in a whisper.

"Yes Bonnie," he groaned.

"Why are you in my bed?" Bonnie asked.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she said turning to face him.

"You and Katherine drink all my bourbon and two bottles of wine," he said looking into her eyes. They were still a little red.

"That explains why my head is pounding, but not why you too it upon yourself to crawl into my bed," she stressed.

"You told me you loved me, and I kissed you. I wanted to be the first thing you saw when you woke up to remind you that we have a lot to talk about," he said sitting up.

"I thought you were dying," she said. "I just didn't want to be alone."

"You have Lexi, Shelia, and Sarah," he pointed out.

"I just"-

"Love me," He smiled at her.

"I don't this conversation is over," she said getting out of her bed and walking to the door.

Damon got up and cut her off, "I love you too you know," he said causing her to stop. "I felt it the second I saw you and Sarah at the party. You were talking to your Grams and I felt this twinge in the pit of my stomach. You were pissed at me and I just wanted to be close to you. For you to say anything to me, but you refused to glance in my direction."

She hadn't realized it until she felt his hands slide down her arms. I wanted to touch you," he said whispering in her ear. "I told myself that they weren't my feelings, but they were. I always wanted you to care about me, because you cared about everyone. The town, strangers. Hell there was a time you were concerned about Rebekah. I just. I knew you hated me, I knew I deserved it, but I just. I wanted to make up for it."

"Damon I-Elena," she said turning to face him.

"Is somewhere alive because of you, and I'm here because of you," he placed a hand on her cheek. "I love you," he confessed. "The real me, loves you."

Bonnie reached up and kissed Damon. "Damon," Stefan said walking in. "Bonnie-I…I didn't see anything," Stefan said.

"How did you get here?" Bonnie panicked.

"It's a long story," he said.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked.

"Shelia's downstairs with Sarah. She wants to talk to you guys."

"Why do I feel like I'm about to get put on punishment," Damon asked.

"Oh you'll wish that's all she's going to do," Bonnie laughed.

"Great," Damon said leading them out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

**You have no idea how hard it was to watch empire and write this. Here is an update please enjoy. Don't forget to review.**

* * *

The trio made their way into the kitchen where Ms. Shelia awaited. Once they entered, her eyes cut up at Damon, and he was honestly terrified. "Sit, the three of you," she said her voice booming with bass.

"I'm sure you think that I have something to do with Stefan being here, but I assure you I have no clue how that happened," Damon interjected before Shelia said a word.

"Oh trust me that's the least of my issues with you Mr. Salvatore," she yelled.

"Did you tell her?" Damon said looking at Bonnie.

"No! I only told Katherine," Bonnie said.

"Why would you tell her?" he yelled.

"Oh and you didn't tell anyone," she said and his face dropped.

"Who did you tell?"

"It's not important," he said turning his attention to Ms. Shelia, "As you were saying."

"Who did you tell," Bonnie demanded.

"I told Lexi, and maybe Qetsiyah," he shrugged.

"And what is it you two are talking about?" Stefan asked.

"It's nothing," they both shot at him.

"It doesn't seem that way, Bonnie?" Shelia asked.

"I-uhmm," she said shifting in her seat.

Stefan grinned as he looked between Bonnie and his brother. "We said some things to each other in the hospital, and it led to other things, and it got better," Damon smiled at Ms. Shelia.

"Really? Bonnie?" she asked unsatisfied with his answer.

"I told Damon I loved him, and he kissed me," she mumbled.

"I didn't catch that, what did you say?" she asked again.

"Grams," Bonnie groaned as she rubbed her temples. "Do you want an essay?"

"Excuse you young lady," she yelled.

"I'm sorry I just had a long night," she said.

"It smells like it," Grams smiled. "You know better."

"I don't know what we're going to do with her," Damon tsked.

"I know what we're going to do with you," she said pointing at him. "Do you know what you did?" she questioned.

"No…"

"You turning into a vampire is effecting Sarah she's showing signs of vampirism," she said and Bonnie immediately stood and ran to Sarah's room. She was afraid something like this would happen. She knew Damon dying would only hurt their daughter. Sarah was asleep in her bed. She looked just as beautiful as Bonnie remembered her. Raven curls framed her face and her caramel cheeks were just as plump and rosy as her pouty lips.

"Bon," Damon said coming in. "I"-

-"No, I told you not to do this, I told you something bad was going to happen," she yelled.

"I know," he said reaching for her. "It's going to be okay."

"Child, there's no way of fixing this. Sarah's vampire side is surfacing and there's no stopping that," Ms. Shelia said from the door.

"What if there's a way to suppress it?" Stefan asked. "Qetsiyah said that's why it took so long to heal my, because my vampirism was being suppressed."

"That could work," Ms. Shelia said. "Get Qetsiyah's grimoire and be at my place in two hours," she said as she left the room.

"Bonnie I don't think we should do that," Damon said.

"You're right…you don't think," Bonnie yelled as Stefan snickered beside her.

"Look I get it I made a mistake that actually turned out the way I planned, sue me. But I'm a vampire, you're a witch, qualities we passed onto _OUR_ daughter. It's not fair for you to choose who she gets to be."

"Do you really think a two year old with super strength, heightened emotions, a craving for blood, and a tendency to bite is a good thing? Do you think this is something she'd want when she's five, and in school and all she can think about is eating one of her classmates, or if she gets mad at someone and pulls a daddy and rips their heart out of their chest? Why wouldn't she want that?"

"Yeah and setting them on fire is any better," Damon smiled a humorless smile.

"Why don't you guys, just suppress them both just enough for her to learn to control them?" Stefan asked.

"Shut up Stefan," they both shut over their shoulders at him.

* * *

Officially a week had gone by since Stefan's passing. It was officially the start of spring and Caroline was in the mood for something new. A rebirth of sorts and she knew just the witch to help her. "If it isn't my favorite Parker," Caroline smiled. "I need magic, and you have it."

"Look I'm through helping you people. I'm here to learn and that's what I'm going to do," Liv yelled as she walked passed Caroline.

Caroline speed over to Liv and grabbed her by the neck. "I guess I forgot to say please. Please," she added as she vamped out.

* * *

Bonnie stood in Ms. Shelia's kitchen fixing dinner. She was snapping the green bean and mumbling under her breath. Ms. Shelia couldn't help but laugh at her granddaughter as she watched her. "I'm glad you found a creative release for your anger baby, but could you not ruin my dinner," she asked.

"I'm sorry Grams, I just don't understand him. Why is he so insistent on being a vampire and Sarah being a vampire? What good can any of this do? I'm not going back down that road," she protested.

"Sweetheart, soon all those memorize are going to wash away, and then what do you think will happen with you two?"

"We'll probably kill each other," Bonnie muttered.

"Do you honestly think that?" Ms. Shelia inquired.

"If you're asking because of the kiss, trust me everything I felt before is gone, because Damon Salvatore is a hopeless idiot," she yelled.

"And still you feel…"

"Grams," Bonnie warned.

"Look, I hardly see Damon as a suitable suitor for you, but if it's what you feel why fight it?"

"Jeremy, Elena, every evil thing he's ever done, the way he hurt me, used me. He's the reason I lost you. And now this," she said with tears in her eyes. "I probably would have been better off if he did die."

"Now child, don't you go saying things you don't mean. I heard you when you thought he was dead. You know you don't want that," she tsked.

"I just wished he could see it. That he can be a good person. That he deserves to have happiness and good things, and he doesn't have to force his happiness."

"If you lived over a hundred years having to keep only your best interest at heart, because no one else would, do you think you'd be much different?"

Bonnie quirked her brow at her grandmother. "I never thought I'd see the day you defend Damon," Bonnie laughed.

"I'm defending your happiness from you," she smiled. "He's not the only one that can ruin a good thing."

* * *

**I'm currently working on Slave for You so this story and The Family Business might get a little neglected. I love you guys, but I haven't updated that in a year, so it's 2015 it's time. Love you thanks for reading. **


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hey guys I've missed you, and if you're a new reader welcome to We Are The Afterlife. I broke and decided to update. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Please review, favorite, and follow. Thanks.**_

* * *

Caroline woke with a jolt. She was in her room but it looked a bit immature for her current taste. She looked over and there was a picture of her and Tyler, on a boat, with their parents. Caroline had never seen her mom and dad so happy together. She put the picture down and headed for the front door. When she got to the living room she smelled pancakes.

"Leaving already?" Bill Forbes called to her.

"Daddy," she said as tears came to her eyes. She rushed over and hugged him. "I thought I never see you again."

"You and Tyler are only in New York. It's practically around the corner."

"What?"

"You're a college girl now. Mom and I are glad you're extending your wings and flying."

"I… I need to find Bonnie," she said extremely confused.

"I'm sure the family will be at Shelia's for dinner after the charity golf game," Bill Forbes looked at his watch. "I'm actually running late for that."

"You should go I have to eat anyway," Caroline said with a bright smile.

"Okay hun," he kissed her forehead. "I'll be waiting on you to see me kick Lockwood's butt," he laughed.

"I wouldn't miss it."

* * *

Bonnie packed Sarah's things in her bag and gave Stefan his orders for her care. "If she gets fussy just give her a bit of apple juice with water. She might have an upset tummy. And please don't let that glimmer of innocence behind those blue eyes fool you, she is your brother's child." Bonnie grabbed a blanket and coat, "Just in case she gets cold."

"Bonnie it's the middle of summer and we are going to my parents' house for brunch before meeting you guys at the country club for this stupid town event."

"Aren't you glad death hasn't stopped the town council from coming up with these things," Bonnie laughed.

"I am. It's nice to be back in the swing of things," Stefan smiled. "It would be nicer if a certain vampire weren't sulking around the boarding house, but you win some."

Bonnie gave Stefan a stern look. "Your brother left of his own free will," she smiled.

"Is that so? He seems to think a certain witch doesn't want to live with vampires," he said frowning. "Do you know where he got that idea from?"

"Not a clue," she shrugged innocently.

"I'm sure you two can work something out."

"I don't think it's that simple."

"Well, in three days no one will remember what happened before we all died. That is no one but me, so it would be nice to go to a happy home, where my bourbon loving brother did not reside."

"You're welcome here anytime Stefan."

"I think he'd kill me if I stayed here with you after you more or less gave him the boot."

"Lucky for you my offers are always on the table."

"We'll see."

"Bye Stefan," Bonnie laughed. "Bye my lovely little princess."

Sarah laughed when Bonnie tickled her belly and then she gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"What you're giving out kisses? Can I get one?" Stefan asked. Sarah gave Stefan a wet kiss on his cheek. "I might be sorry I asked."

"Don't be mean to my child Salvatore."

"I wouldn't dream of it Bennett."

* * *

"So you don't know where she is?" Tyler asked Liv.

"No, your crazy ex asked me to do a spell. I did it and we thought it didn't work. And then she went poof," Liv said flicking her fingers for effect.

"Why would you do something like that? You know the other side is destroyed, who knows where Caroline is now?"

"Are you honestly mad at me?"

"Caroline is my friend and I don't have many of those."

"I'm sorry to say, you can make new friends, you know, ones that aren't murders," Liv yelled.

"Elena loved Damon with everything she was. She's a vampire and she was hurting."

"Tell that to my brother."

"We are supernatural creatures. You think I haven't lost anything? You think I haven't had to make sacrifices to survive. It's just the way things are."

"That's not how life should be. Luke and I came here to get away from our crazy family. We came here to be happy and together, and now I'm alone."

"You're not. At least you don't have to be. You're the one in control of that," Tyler said as he left.

* * *

"Hey," Stefan said as he knocked on Damon's door post.

"I thought I gave you explicit orders to stay away," he said between sips of his blood bag. There were several more littering the floor of his room.

"Yeah well I thought you could pull yourself together for a few hours and you know be a part of our founding family. Zach's coming by and you love golf," Stefan said with a smile.

"I'd rather Bonnie give me aneurysm for five hours then sit though that golf tournament. Now GET OUT!"

"Well could you at least pretend for Sarah? She's down stairs waiting for you to pull your head out of your ass," Stefan laughed.

"I hate you."

"See you down there," Stefan said as he closed the door.

* * *

"Bonnie, Bonnie," Caroline yelled as she entered Ms. Shelia's kitchen. "Bonnie Shelia Bennett when I find you," she grunted and halted when she saw Qetsiyah. "What are you doing here?"

"I might ask you the same thing," Qetsiyah said as she sized Caroline. "Who are you and why are you looking for Bonnie," she asked in an unwavering voice.

"I don't have to answer to you."

Qetsiyah smirked and extended her hand. Instantly Caroline felt an intense burning move through her head. Qetsiyah slowly bent her fingers and it felt like someone was crushing Caroline's sulk.

"Stop it please," Caroline cried out from the floor.

"Qetsiyah stop," Shelia said as she rushed down the stairs.

"She's one of them."

"It's okay," Shelia said as Qetsiyah stopped. "What are you doing here child?"

"I need to see Bonnie," she said with tears in her eyes.

* * *

Damon raced down the staircase to the kitchen where Sarah was surrounded by his family. His mother was baking with Lexi and Zach's wife Gail. Giuseppe and Zach were talking about golf, and Stefan was teaching Sarah how to swing with plastic golf clubs.

"Those aren't for eating," Damon said taking a ball from Sarah when she attempted to put it in her mouth. "Who knows what's in this ball. I'm sure the kids in that sweat shop it came from don't."

"How nice of you to join us," Giuseppe said as a greeting to his son.

"Likewise, pops," Damon said.

"You two are grown men please ask like it," Lilly said.

"Fine, I'm going to take Sarah for a day on the town," Damon smiled as he picked up his little girl.

"So I promised Bonnie Sarah would be at the golf game," Stefan started.

"Yeah well it seems like Uncle Stefan shouldn't make promises he can't keep," Damon said as he grabbed Sarah's bag. "See you guys later," He said giving his mother a kiss before he left.

"You are aware that Bonnie just might kill you right?" Lexi asked.

"I got him out of the boarding house. The next step is into his own house and trust me we're almost there," Stefan reassured her.

"Bonnie and Damon can work out their problems on their own," Gail said.

"Yes, sweetie, you shouldn't get into that," Lilly agreed.

"It's no wonder they made it this far without help. I thought she'd kill him by now," Zach added.

"Bonnie is what Damon needs a girl with a spin that can see right through those blue eyes."

"But they're so cute," Lexi said making everyone laugh.

* * *

"Liv just spelled me here and that's that," Caroline shrugged. "I figured there would be away for us to bring you guys back," she added.

"Caroline, you can't do that," Bonnie sighed. "You can't un-find peace."

"Says who. There is a loophole to every spell, a witchy work around. This can be worked around."

"Caroline the magic is gone, this isn't a spell. This place existed long before magic."

"Well I'm not accepting that. I'm not accepting that this is it. You deserve a long happy life more than anyone else I know," Caroline cried. "My mom is dying, and there is nothing I can do about it. I can fix this."

"Sweetie," Bonnie said as she held Caroline. "I'm living and I'm happy," she promised. "Elena just lost us all and she can't lose you. You can't let you're mom's last days be without you. I'm going to be here whenever you and Elena are ready. I'm going to be here and happy to see you, but after you guys have lived a million years and have so much to share. I'm here, and I'm happy," Bonnie said with a sure smile.

"This isn't what we dreamed our lives would be," Caroline said laughing through her tears.

"You were going to be a movie star and marry Aaron Carter," Bonnie laughed.

"And you wanted to be a pastry chief in Paris."

"And Elena was going to be a teacher and we'd spend our weeks in the Caribbean," she laughed.

Bonnie kissed Caroline's forehead. "We'll have that," Bonnie promised her. "Just not how we planned.

* * *

Damon pushed the stroller up Ms. Shelia's drive way. He never thought about coming here but it was where his feet brought him. He ringed the doorbell and it wasn't long before Ms. Shelia came to the door. "Aren't you a vision, Shelia," Damon smiled.

"What is your narrow behind doing on my doorstep?" Shelia asked.

"I don't really know," Damon smiled.

"Come in and don't get used to it. That was a onetime invitation."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Damon said as he pushed the stroller in to the house.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys this is a little short but I'll update again over the weekend. Please enjoy and don't forget to comment. **

* * *

Damon sat in Shelia's kitchen staring at the older woman. "So, how are the perpetration for the big golf banquet coming alone?"

"Are you serious?" Shelia asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you're doing okay. Running a catering company all by yourself is hard, and on a woman of your… wisdom it could only be harder," Damon smiled.

"Damon."

"Okay, so I have a reason for being here," he said.

"And it is?" she asked.

"You have to swear to me you won't say anything to Bonnie. She's already pissed at me."

"I wonder why?"

"Just… Don't say anything please?" he begged her.

"Fine," She agreed with a nod of the head. "Tell me why you're here."

"Ever since I've been reborn, if you will. I've been having dreams," he said.

"And vampires don't dream?" Shelia questioned.

"They're more like premonitions," he corrected. "And the first I just shook off as chance and then I just knew… I need to make this go away before Bonnie catches on," he smiled. "Is there anything in your witch cookbook for this sort of thing?"

"What type of things are you seeing?" Shelia asked.

"Just glimpses of everyday life. Before I thought it was just memories from being here, but in a few Sarah was older and other things," he shrugged.

"Like?"

"There were more kids," he winced.

"And that makes you uneasy because?"

"How does that work now?" he said with a humorless grin. "Vampires can't procreate and Bonnie hates me like this."

"You left her not the other way around."

"It's not like she left me much of a choice. If I didn't leave she would have, and we both know she'd never comeback," he yelled.

"You sound upset about that," She smiled.

Damon scowled at the older witch. "You want me to say it don't you?" he asked.

"Say what?"

"That I'm in love with your granddaughter. I am and I have no problem admitting it," he shrugged.

"Uhm," the paired turned to see who was standing in the doorway.

* * *

Stefan and Lexi sat out on the hills of the golf course drinking and looking out at the crowd gathered to watch the game. "In two weeks when you don't remember me and I'm just here lonely while you and Bonnie pal around what am I going to do?" Stefan asked.

"Run the garage you own? See the world. Meet a pretty young thang," Lexi said with a wink.

"And how will everyone take that? They think I'm in love with Elena?" he asked.

"Well you're here and she's not. You can't just wait around hoping she bites the dust so you can find happiness. We're both human now. We can have it all," she smiled as she raised her beer.

"To having it all," Stefan smirked.

"To having it all," she giggled.

* * *

Bonnie fixed her skirt and played with her loose curls. She liked how they framed her face, but one kept dropping. She looked in the mirror once again smiled, then frowned. She went to her closet and looked for the red sundress she brought with Lexi. She walked to the mirror and wrapped the fabric around her body. She changed angles and still that wasn't right.

"And there goes another blue jay. And look a crow," Caroline said.

"That's great Care," Bonnie said clearly not paying attention to her friend.

"You know, I could just stay here, maybe go back and grab Elena and Matt and Tyler, maybe even Jeremy," Caroline said watching Bonnie rummage through a draw.

"That would be nice," Bonnie said putting on a pair of white cotton trousers and a white blouse. "Great now I look like Grams," she groaned.

"Firstly, those legs kill so show them off," Caroline ordered.

"I hate everything in that closet," Bonnie groaned.

"You'll love my closet," Katherine said from the door way.

"Ew, you guys aren't friends?" Caroline asked in a low voice.

"She and Qetsiyah are a thing," Bonnie said watching Caroline's face drop, "I know we're like reluctant family," she laughed.

"Life's rough on the other side," Caroline mumbled.

"Please don't say the other side again. Shelia and Qetsiyah have been going on about that forever and I have a headache."

"Are you sure that's from their conversation and not your morning chardonnay?" Bonnie asked.

"Haha you slay me," Katherine said following the girls out the house.

* * *

"What are you doing here Damon?" Rudy asked as he entered the kitchen.

"I'm just trying to talk to Ms. Shelia," Damon smiled over innocently at him.

"If you're trying to use her to get Bonnie back you're wasting your time," Rudy added.

"I fail to see where my relationship is any of your business."

"No matter how old she gets, how many kids she has, or where she is, Bonnie will always be my daughter and there's nothing you can do to change that. That makes it my business," Rudy yelled.

"Rudolph let the boy be," Shelia warned.

"Not until he leaves my little girl alone," he said between his teeth.

"Maybe if you could have been this concerned about Bonnie to begin with we wouldn't be here," Damon sighed.

"I was there through it all. When you slept with her. Then she found out you confessed to her best friend that was engaged to your brother at the time, that you loved her. Then she found out she was pregnant and you drunkenly proposed to her. She had never been so embarrassed. That night she cried herself to sleep. It wasn't the first time she cried over you and it wasn't the last," Rudy yelled. His face softened for a moment. "You don't know how helpless you feel when a man breaks your little girl's heart. How it feels to hold her in your arms trying to piece back together the beautiful, joyful girl you once had. You're never going to do that to her, not again," Rudy promised him.

"I'm sor"-

"Don't apologize to me. You can't take back what you did to her, and it's about time she put you out on your ass," he yelled.

"Rudy," Shelia yelled. "Bonnie was a willing participant in all of this. She knows what she's doing."

"She loved him and he's wasted enough of her time with his head in his ass," he said leaving the house.

Damon was in shock. He knew here he and Rudy didn't really get along. He knew he and Bonnie didn't happen in the most conventional way. But he didn't comprehend the extent of his offensive until that moment. His stomach was in knots as empathy and sympathy wormed their way through it. To think the Afterlife version of him was just as horrible to Bonnie as the real thing.

"Damon are you okay?" Shelia asked as she watched the hurt play out on his face.

"Peachy," he said smiling over at her.

* * *

**So next chapter is going have a bit of drama I'm leaning toward reviving the Founders Council, but I might do something with Qetysiah. I'm working on doing both, but if it gets too confusing I'll do the council stuff. There's also going to be a bit before there's a Bamon reunion and a few scenes of their life together in the Afterlife. I hope you guys keep reading and enjoying. **


	11. Chapter 11

**_This chapter is a little longer so I hope you guys enjoy it. Happy reading. _**

* * *

To say that Damon didn't deserve happiness, wasn't enough. He felt like he deserved a million lifetimes of misery. He killed, raped, maimed, lied, and stole among other questionable things. He didn't deserve the happiness he acquired with Elena, and he didn't deserve the happiness he found with Bonnie. Where ever he roamed he found a way to create misery and chaos from the purest things. Look at what he made Stefan. How he destroyed Elena. He was always good at that. Destroying things.

He couldn't let the next thing he destroyed be Bonnie or Sarah. He had to stay away. Go back and let them have the happiness they deserved. He didn't belong in the Afterlife now that he was a vampire again. He walked over to Stefan and Lexi who were clearly having a private party with Anna, Mason and a girl he's never seen before. "Uncle Damon, now the party can start," the girl said as she hugged him.

"Monique seems to be the only one that like's you. I'm sure Gail has something to do with that," Stefan said giving Damon a clue to who the girl was.

"I'm sure it's because I'm the best," Damon said giving the girl a squeeze.

"Where's Bonnie and Sarah?" Lexi asked.

"Sarah's with my mother and Bonnie is MIA at the moment," he smiled. "Stefan can I borrow you?" he asked.

"Sure," Stefan said getting up and grabbing two beers. He and Damon started walking farther in to the course towards the woods. "So you make things with Bonnie right?" he asked.

"No, and I'm not going to," Damon said as Stefan stopped walking.

Stefan looked over at his brother in utter shock. "Did you just say that?"

"Yeah I did. I'm going back," He said.

"Going back where?"

"Where we belong where I belong with Elena," he yelled making Stefan's jaw twitch.

"Are you? And how are you going to get there?" Stefan asked.

"I know a lot of dead witches. I'll figure it out," Damon yelled.

"What about Sarah? What about wanting things to work? Damon this is everything we've ever wanted."

"It's everything you've ever wanted Stefan! My life was fine. I got the girl. The perfect girl," he yelled.

"I know what this is. This is you hurting Bonnie before she hurts you right? You're all about self-preservation," Stefan laughed. "But remember Sarah needs you, and she may not admit it, but Bonnie needs you too," Stefan grabbed Damon's shoulders. "I need you."

"Come back with me."

"No. We're staying here and you're going to fix this," Stefan said.

"I can't. I can't fix me. I'm always going to be impulsive, and a jackass."

"Don't do this to her. Don't give up on her," Stefan urged him.

Damon looked at his brother knowing that he was right. However, there was a part of him that kept thinking about what Rudy said. Bonnie deserved true happiness. And he wasn't sure if he could fort the bill.

* * *

Katherine threw clothes at Bonnie and ordered her in the attached bathroom. She looked at her reflection and thought this was the perfect look to get her point across. The blue fitted sundress was appropriate for the golf course, but its leather contoured corset showed off her curvaceous body. She was sure Damon would love this and he'd come back home. She wanted him back more than anything.

At first she was angry that he'd just leave her and Sarah. Of course the more she thought on it, she realized she didn't give him much of a choice. She yelled at him for hours about how irresponsible and impulsive he was. She called him an idiot in a couple hundred different ways, and she refused to let him explain himself. He didn't give an answer she liked so she tuned him out.

Bonnie knew she was being childish, and that she and Damon needed to make there circumstance work. Not just for Sarah, but for their own sanity. Bonnie couldn't fight the want in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want to. She craved Damon and she missed her high. The yelling, the fighting, the way he made her laugh was different, it was always genuine. She didn't have to fake her reactions around him. She never had to pretend. He just got her.

Bonnie sighed as she fastened the black gladiator sandals. She walked out the room and the two girls sitting on the bed blankly stared at her. "I guess this isn't the one," she mumbled.

"This is so the one, it's crazy. You look gorgeous, Bon," Caroline screamed.

"Damon is going to lose his mind when he sees you," Katherine smiled.

"DAMON!" Caroline yelled. "As in Elena's Damon."

"And she's your best friend," Katherine scuffed. "This conversation cause for pinot noir," she said walking out the room.

"Care it's different here," she started.

"Damon is still Damon, and you're still you. This can't happen. You have no idea how miserable Elena has been," Caroline yelled. "You hate him. He ruined your life."

"Caroline, here we're together. Damon and I have a child together and Elena is with Stefan, well she was until he showed up a few weeks ago," she explained.

Caroline fell back to the bed with her mouth opened. Damon and Bonnie had a baby, and Stefan was with Elena and she was confused. "I don't understand."

"You remember how I told you this world just interjects you into it. This is just how our life is."

"But you're still you and he's still him," Caroline yelled. "Elena is our friend."

"I know that, but it's complicated. I just feel"-

-"No you don't. The Bonnie Bennett I know would never love a monster like him. She knows she deserves so much more," Caroline smiled at her.

"I know," she agreed. "I've told myself that so many times it's crazy. But he makes me laugh, like really laugh, and we just understand each other. I just got to see him, the real him," she smiled.

Caroline could see it in her eyes that she was in love with Damon. Caroline's stomach ached and her heart raced. Bonnie was happy, really happy, and Elena was miserable really miserable and both of their states were due to the same man.

"Care say something," Bonnie urged.

"Bonnie," Caroline sighed. "I'm so happy that you found happiness. I want that for you more than anything, but Elena"-

-"Elena isn't here and she's a terrible friend. How many times have she been there when you guys needed her most? And out of the times she was there, how many did she turn into you being there for her?" Katherine asked examining their faces. "Exactly."

"It's not that simple, we've been friends since we were in diapers," Caroline said.

"And you out grew them," Katherine shrugged. "That's all I'm saying," She added as she raised her glass.

* * *

Bonnie, Katherine, and Caroline walked into the country club. Much to their surprise there was a huge turnout for the tournament. Caroline was greeted and asked about life in New York and Tyler, which was a bit more awkward. She made her way to the huge golf course and rode in a golf cart with Bonnie and Katherine to the 10th hole where the game progressed. That was where she spotted her dad on the sideline with Mr. Lockwood and Bonnie's dad.

"I get why you want to stay," she said smiling at her dad as he waved at her.

"I'm going to figure out how to get you home Care," Bonnie promised.

"Lexi texted me they're not here," Katherine said directing them back to the golf cart.

* * *

"She's coming," Lexi told Stefan. "I think you should get him out of here until we're sure he won't do anything stupid."

"Everything is going to be okay," Stefan smiled.

"Yeah cause your brother isn't a jackass," she smiled.

"Just give him a chance. Whatever happened with them has got them both out of sorts. They'll figure it out."

"I really hope so," Lexi said as she walked over to rejoin their growing group.

"Hey the last I checked the drinking age wasn't nineteen," Zach said as he came over and saw Monique with a beer.

"Very funny dad," she smiled. "We all know you and rules aren't friends."

"That's cause I'm a cool dad," he laughed.

"There's nothing cool about you," she snorted. Making everyone laugh.

"Hey I was cool enough for you to tell me about you boyfriend," he said teasing her making her blush.

"You don't have a boyfriend," Anna laughed.

"He's not my boyfriend I just like him," she said with a shrugged.

"You like him a lot," Zach said knocking his shoulder into hers.

"Dad!" she yelled.

"Sorry," he laughed.

Damon watched as Zach and Monique talked and he wanted to have that with Sarah. He was sure Bonnie would be the lighthearted one in this situation, but he wanted his little girl to feel comfortable enough to talk to him about boys. He wanted to be able to make her laugh and just enjoy a beer with her. He wanted Sarah to know that no matter what she was his world and would always have his love.

Damon was deep in thought when the girls pulled up. They were all out when he looked up. Anna jumped out of her seat to hug Caroline and Katherine was scuffing, but Bonnie held his focus. She looked beautiful. More than that. Gorgeous, divine, exquisite. There was not a word to describe how perfect she was. Nothing he could think to say now that his mouth was dry, and she was getting closer.

Bonnie sat on the blanket next to Damon and talked to Lexi. She was ignoring him. She came here looking like that just to ignore him. In all honesty they were having a hasty conversation with Stefan about Caroline. "You can't send her back," Damon said when Bonnie reassured Stefan and Lexi that she would.

"I don't remember asking your permission," Bonnie snapped.

"Well you don't have it," he screamed.

"Hey this is the fun section of the country club, you two take your marital problems somewhere else," Mason said teasing the two.

"I wouldn't marry him if my life depended on it," she sneered and walked away.

Damon sighed when he saw that Stefan really wanted him to follow after her. He took another breathe then rushed after her. "Bonnie," Damon called. "Bonnie I'm sorry," he said.

Bonnie stopped walking and let Damon catch up to her. He walked in front of her and said, "I just think you shouldn't mess with our world. Caroline got herself into this, you don't have to break your neck to get her out," he said.

"Why did you say that?" she asked.

"Because everyone's problems shouldn't be yours," he yelled.

"No you called this our world, why would you call it that?"

Damon put his forehead to hers. "That's how it feels. Like this world was made for us," he said caressing her face. "I want to enjoy this more than anything." He really felt that way, but he knew that he shouldn't-couldn't.

"I do too. I'm sorry, for how I acted. I just…I don't know how not to worry, and overthink. And the more I think the scarier things get," she ranted.

"Bon-Bon, I'm going to make sure that you have happiness here. No matter what it take to make that happen," he smiled. He knew the only way she'd be truly happy was if he removed himself from her life.

"Then come home," she smiled.

"I just want to make sure you'll be safe. You and Sarah," he said.

"We both know I can handle you," she laughed.

"Sarah doesn't know the full extent of Daddy's temper and she won't," he said.

"Damon, you're a great father."

"Thank you," he smiled. "I'm going to keep Sarah tonight so you can figure the Caroline thing out," he smiled.

"Damon come home," she ordered him.

"I don't remember asking your permission," he said with fake anger.

"Damon!" she yelled.

"Look Bonnie I… I'm everything you said I was and I hate that. I make you miserable. We can't go five minutes without fighting. I hate how much I hurt you and I just keep doing it. I don't want to ruin you the way I ruined Elena," he confessed.

"So what? You're just going to give up on us? Is that what you want?"

"Just until I figure this me out," he said.

"I'm not going to spend the rest of my life waiting for you to see what I see in you. I can't do that Damon. You have a week to figure this out, and if you don't want it, fine," she said and walked back to where the tournament was taking place.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Afterlife Mystic Falls October 31th 2 years ago_**

_Bonnie hadn't seen her friends in weeks. Every year they had a huge Halloween Party at Tyler's Mansion and this year was supposed to be the biggest. Caroline, and Tyler had just arrived from New York and Matt was getting in from Pennsylvania. Caroline got accepted into the New York school of Art and Design were she was studying to be an interior decorator along with business management. Tyler was studying Law down the road from Caroline at NYU. And Matt got into Penn State on a full Scholarship playing football. It wasn't his first choice of school, but he took it when he was offered a full ride. _

_Bonnie missed them like crazy, she thought taking a year off with Elena would be fun. She thought they'd travel the world and bond, but the opposite happened. They never really talked and she spent most of her time with Damon oddly enough. After Stefan got back from his extended vacation Elena dropped her like a bad habit. For a while it was fine. Bonnie got to do the things she liked that Elena wasn't very fond of. She even spent a week in Miami with a dance company. Elena came down for her show and they had a great weekend together. _

_Bonnie pushed on and decided that she wanted to dance and that was her calling. She wanted to tour and work with artist. She even sparked up some noticed from a huge Company based in Williamsburg. She was so close to her dream, but she hadn't told anyone. Not because she didn't want to. Everyone she knew was having a rough go at things. And it just never felt like the right time. Chase and point this very moment with Damon. _

_"Is there a point in life where being a royal screw up is a good thing. Not like ironically like in the movies, but like will I ever mistakenly do something good?" he wondered aloud. _

_Damon got weirdly philosophical whenever he royally fucked up. Now it was time to pull teeth. He'd have endless dialogue with himself answering all the questions he posed to her, and not giving her much to go on. She still wasn't clear on the run down on things. All she knew was Stefan left, Elena badgered Damon about why, Stefan told Damon to lie, he did, Elena still badgered, and he fell in love with her. Somewhere that made sense to someone, but here and now Bonnie had no clue where his feelings came from, and judging by Elena's constant dancing around the subject, there was something there for her. _

_"Damon I have a great idea," she smiled _

_"To kill me and finally put me out of my misery?" he questioned with his expressive brow. _

_"No we're going to the Lockwood Halloween party," she said and instantly his expression soured. "It's going to be fun, cute drunk girls, the good stuff, tons of food. C'mon."_

_"I don't want to watch my brother make goo-goo eyes with Elena, while Caroline and dog breath make out nonstop, and Matt dances off beat with random girls. I pass," he groaned. _

_"You forgot me being really snarky and keeping that smirk on your face," she said grabbing his hands and pulling him to his feet. "Besides my dad is coming home soon, and he's catching on to you drink up all his whiskey."_

_"It's genuine Scottish whiskey he should be proud." _

_"But of course. Now get out of my house and get ready. I'll pick you up in two hours," she smiled. _

_"We should go as Salt and Pepper," he smiled. _

_Bonnie laughed. "We minus well be a fork and spoon."_

_"No not that I mean Salt 'n' Peppa'," he laughed. _

_"How about I be Peppa and you be MC Hammer," he laughed. _

_"I don't think so." _

_"We could be Kid and Play. You love House Party," she said with a wink knowing he wouldn't be able to resist. _

_"I have the prefect idea. Come over my place and I'll have your costume ready," he smiled. _

_"Am I going to be a playboy Bunny?" she asked sure all he had in mind was lingerie. _

_"It's a surprise on you'll like." _

_"Okay, I'll be over soon," she promised him. _

* * *

_Bonnie was pleasantly surprised when Damon announced that they were going as Rachel and Frank from the Bodyguard. Damon repeat numerous times that he hated that movie. She thought it was mighty big of him to do this for her when he felt like crap. Bonnie drove them to the Lockwood's from Damon's apartment. She promised to make sure he got back okay and that she wouldn't take advantage of him. "I'm serious Bonnie. I need my womanhood to stay intact," he said as they approached the house. _

_"Damon no one is try to do anything with your pasty butt." _

_"I knew you were looking," he accused. _

_"Damon," Bonnie warned. _

_"Admit it you like my butt," he teased. _

_"You wish I'd like anything about you," she laughed. _

_"You love me Bonnie Bennett, just admit it," he said as he walked in front of her. _

_"Never," she threatened._

_"Hey, I could have dressed you up as a witch Sabrina."_

_"Damon," the pair turned to see Caroline. "What are you doing?" she yelled._

_"Talking to Bonnie, like anyone else would assume." _

_"Well you can't mention her being gifted in public."_

_"Well I just did," he spit back. _

_"Care it's okay," Bonnie said leading Damon out back. _

* * *

_The night seemed to go on without a hitch. She had a great time with her friends and Damon was fun, and himself for once. She was dancing with Caroline Tyler and Matt when she felt uneasy. She didn't see Elena and Stefan in front of her and the girl Damon was dancing with was now with someone else. She searched the backyard for Damon and didn't see him. She decided to go to the woods, because Elena and Stefan wanted to check out the fire pit with some friends from school. _

_Oddly enough it wasn't long before she found Damon. He was standing next to Elena. They were awkward looking to say the least. She looked everywhere else but where he was standing hoping he's take a hint and go away. But Damon was all determination when he moved into her line of sight. _

_They looked to be arguing for a second, and then Stefan appeared. Bonnie made her way out of the shadows sure that something bad was going to happen. Then Damon turned and looked regretfully at his brother. He opened his mouth to say something and Stefan punched him. "Stefan," Bonnie and Elena yelled at the same time. _

_"Stay away from her," Stefan warned Damon. _

_"Stefan…" Damon started._

_"I mean it," he said and walked away._

_Damon was seething as he looked at Elena. She gave him a look one Bonnie never seen before, and then it was gone and she was following after Stefan. "Damon what happened?" Bonnie had been asking that questioned nonstop but he never answered it. He just kept on drinking. His nose was bleeding and she got him to his apartment. She cleaned him up and still nothing. _

_"Damon, just tell me something?" Bonnie asked as she sat on his lap. _

_Damon sat on his bathroom floor. She got all the blood out of his nose and it seemed to be fine. "Want to find the right girl," he said. _

_"You will. You'll find someone that's willing to give you everything you want," she smiled at him. _

_"Someone smart, funny, loyal to a fault. Someone that's not afraid to share her opinion, brave, adventurous," he gently rubbed her cheek. "Beautiful," he said faintly. _

_"You'll find her," Bonnie repeated. She started to get up, but Damon held her hips. She looked into his eyes and her stomach fluttered. "I should go home, it's late."_

_"You remember Tyler's sixteenth birthday party?" he asked her._

_"Yeah, what about it?"_

_"I kissed you," he whispered as if it was a dirty secret no one knew. _

_"It was a game Damon."_

_"It was your first kiss, and you had a huge crush on me."_

_"Who told you that?" she laughed trying to pretend it wasn't true. _

_"Caroline," he smiled. "It was a good kiss, the best. I didn't want it to be over," he confessed. _

_"Damon you're drunk and you need to rest," she said try to stand again. She placed her hands on his shoulders and he pulled her higher on his lap. Now his erection was pressing into her bottom. She looked into his eyes and there was that soft longing look. The look she hated, the look that gave her hope. Hope that she meant something more to him. "Damon," she warned. _

_"Stay," he insisted as he closed the distance to her lips. "Stay with me,"he moaned against her lips. _

_"I can't. I promised I wouldn't take advantage of you," she reminded him. _

_"I know what I'm doing."_

_"Do you?" she asked. _

_Damon kissed her neck right beneath her ear. Before she realized she was half naked on his bathroom floor moan his name while his head was between her legs. When Bonnie's body started to convulse she picked her up and carried her to his bed. "I love you Bonnie Bennett," he whispered in her ear, and slowly entered her._

* * *

_Bonnie woke on top of Damon. He was lazily tracing circles on her lower back. "Look who's up," he said smiling at her. _

_She was unsure of what to think or what to do. Bonnie Bennett didn't have causual sex. Bonnie Bennett, didn't do the walk of shame. And to make matter worse she was staring into his impossibly blue eyes. "Good morning," she said. _

_"You want to get breakfast. My treat," he smiled. _

_"Sure I'd like that," she said. _

_"Great, get ready." And she did. _

* * *

**_Two weeks later _**

_Bonnie and Damon spent every waking moment together. It wasn't unheard of, but it was unreal. They barely argued and neither stormed out of the room after an hour of being and close quarters with the other. They weren't out right affectionate with one another, but there was a shift, and Stefan noticed it. He knew that given his current circumstance this was great, but he knew Damon, and he knew how he was when he truly wanted something. _

_The only problem was, did Damon want Elena bad enough to hurt his best friend? Would Damon use Bonnie to get Elena? Could he? Stefan didn't really know the answer to those question, and in his heart he believed the answer was no to all of the above. But doubt after what the two most important people in his life did to him came easier than u after q. _

_"Thanks for coming Bonnie," Stefan said as he helped her into her seat. _

_"I'd always show up for you. It's what friends are for," she smiled. _

_"I'm glad you say that. I'm your friend and I care about you a lot Bonnie and I just had to warn you about Damon," he said. "He has something to lose, but something more to gain. I don't want to see you get hurt."_

_"Stefan stop. Whatever it is that you think you know. You are now mistaken."_

_"Bonnie anyone with eyes can see that something is happening with you two, and I just want you to have your eyes open."_

_"Because Damon wants better, and we all know Elena is the best," she smiled._

_"That's not what I meant," he started._

_"That's precisely what you meant Stefan. I don't know what's going on with them, and I don't care it's not my place. But I am sorry that you got hurt. I can't imagine how you feel, but I'm fine," she reassured him. _

_"If you're ever not fine, and you want to talk to someone that's not Elena or Caroline. I'm here," he offered. _

_"Thank you," she said and gathered her stuff to leave. _

* * *

_Bonnie found herself on Elena's front porch. She wanted to know what was happening, and why Stefan would do that. Did he really think Damon would use her? Was Damon using her? They never really talked about the sex. They never had sex again, but she felt something for him. A fire that constantly burned sometimes warming her like a mug of hot chocolate on a cold day. Sometimes burning her like a hot pocket fresh from the microwave. _

_She walked in to see Elena arguing with Damon in the kitchen. She was trying to get close enough to hear what they were saying, but her presence was notice before she could. "Bonnie," Dmaon said with a smile. Her body flushed and he walked around her. "Later," he called over his shoulder. _

_"What's going on with you two?" Bonnie asked Elena. _

_Elena sighed and collapsed in a chair. "I had sex with Damon," she confessed. "I knew I shouldn't have I knew I still loved Stefan, but I did it anyway, and now I can't look at him without feeling guilty. I can't think straight I can't… He said he's in love with me. My boyfriend's brother is in love with me! How did I become this girl? Why do I…I like having him around. I like knowing that he cares, but I want Stefan, I know I want Stefan."_

_Bonnie tried hard to fight back her own emotions. Elena was looking at her for support and guidance and she was breaking inside. "It's okay, to love two people at once. It's not okay to lie about it. You should talk to Stefan. He deserves the truth," Bonnie said. "I just wanted to tell you my dad is home and that our movie will have to wait," she smiled. _

_Elena hugged Bonnie. "I love you, thanks for not judging me," she said._

_"You're my sister. I know your heart is that big."_

* * *

**_The week of Christmas_**

_Weeks went by and Damon couldn't catch up to Bonnie, and when he did it left him angry and frustrated. He resorted to watching her from afar. He managed to get down her daily routine and followed it like god's word. She started her day with a run to the gym, then back home to shower and breakfast, she helped her Grams, and had lunch with her dad, after that she and Anna danced and she'd rent a movie and stay in. However today Bonnie didn't go to lunch with her dad. She drove two towns over just to go to a pharmacy. _

_Damon got out of his car and tailed her like a seasoned PI. She walked around twice and doubled back to the feminine care aisle. He walked over to her when she picked out a pregnancy test. "Bonnie," he called and she turned. Her eyes read guilty, "What are you doing?" _

_Bonnie didn't say anything. She looked down at the pregnancy test. "I…"_

_Damon looked down at her hands. His heart stopped and the world passed slow. He used a condom. He was mostly sure they did. Did she sleep with someone else? Did he live near here? Was that why she was so unavailable? "Are you?"_

_"I don't know," she simply said and walked away. _

_"We're?" _

_"Don't, just leave me alone," she yelled at him. "I can take care of myself."_

_"I wasn't asking you that. I'm talking about our child Bonnie," he yelled at her. _

_"Well I'm handling this and we'll be fine," she said going to the counter. _

_Bonnie paid and walked out the store. She walked to her car and saw Damon parked right behind her. "Bonnie just talk to me."_

_"And say what Damon?"_

_"Anything."_

_"Like I hate you. Like you make me sick to my stomach. Like how could I be so stupid? I'm Bonnie Bennett she doesn't do stupid things like this. I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you, because it won't change anything Damon. It won't take what we did back."_

_"I don't want to take it back Bonnie," he caressed her face. "I miss you." _

_"Go away Damon," she yelled._

_"I love you," he said taking her hand. "I'm going to take care of you."_

_"I don't want your charity," she laughed. _

_"You're not charity, you're my best friend."_

_"If this is negative I never want to see you again," she said and got into her car._

* * *

**_Christmas Eve_**

_Damon walked around the Forbes Dining room at their annual Christmas party. Caroline wouldn't tell him if Bonnie was coming or not and Elena and Stefan were too engrossed in each other to be bothered. "Ms. Bennett," Damon said when Shelia walked in. _

_"Damon," she said sauntering in the home with a huge pot._

_Damon grabbed the pot from Ms. Shelia. "How's Bonnie I haven't talked to her lately?" he asked her. _

_"She wasn't feeling well," she told him. _

_"Did she say why?" he asked. _

_"No, she just has a stomach bug."_

_"I hope it's not going around." _

* * *

_After the party Damon went to Bonnie's house. He looked under the large plant by the door and grabbed the key. He let himself in and went up to Bonnie's room. Bonnie was in bed with the covers over her head. "Bon, I got you something to eat. I got soup, I know that's your go to when your stomachs upset. And ginger ale, but my mom said she had strawberries and sweet cream when she was pregnant with me and I got pretzels and chocolate in case you wanted sweet and salty," he went on. _

_"Damon please leave me alone," she said sitting up. _

_"You said you never wanted to see me if you weren't pregnant, but you are so I assumed you wanted some help" he said sitting on the bed. _

_"Damon I just want to dance. I found something I'm good at. Something just for me. Something I care about. I just… I want to do something for me," she yelled. _

_"What are you saying?" he asked. _

_"Having a baby isn't the best thing for us. I don't want to be your baby momma."_

_Damon was furious. "Are you telling me you want to get an abortion?"_

_"It's the best thing for us. That way we can go on like this never happened." _

_"How is that when I'm in love with you Bonnie?"_

_"No you're not," she said. _

_They looked each other down for a minute before Damon continued to dig through his bag. "I also got you a pregnancy book, and this parenting book."_

_"Are you listening to me? I don't want to have your baby, you lying piece of shit," she yelled at him. _

_"Well you are, and that's not changing," he said grabbing her arm. "I'll tell Grams if I have to."_

_Bonnie knew her grandmother was a woman of old values and her getting an abortions would be out of the card the second she knew. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" _

_"Because I want to make this work. You make me… I need you Bonnie."_

_"Why? To help you get Elena? To get back at Stefan? How can I be useful for you Damon?" _

_"Where are you getting this from?"_

_"I know you had sex with Elena. I know you were pouring your heart out to her. I know you told her you loved her and that would never change. I know she has feeling for you. I know everything," she cried. _

_"I-I it's different Bonnie," he tried to explain. "The way if feel about you is real. It's pure."_

_"It's not what you want. I'm not what you want. I want something real. I want someone to look at me like I'm the center of the universe. I want someone who thinks I'm the mold of perfection Damon, and that someone isn't you. I don't want you," she yelled. "I'm doing us both a favor." _

_Damon placed his hand on her tiny tummy. Bonnie stopped and placed hers on his. "Bonnie please jut give her a chance. If you don't want to be a mother, fine. I want my child." _

_"My dad's going to be home soon," she said. _

_"You want to be stubborn fine," he smiled. "Remember you asked for this," he finished._

* * *

**_Dec. 29th _**

_The year was coming to a close and Damon had wormed his way back into Bonnie's good graces. She was staying in his apartment and they had told those closest to them about their bundle of joy. Her dad was the only one to piece things together after he found the baby book Damon left. Bonnie was too happy about telling Elena, but she took the news well enough. Stefan was excited to have a niece or nephew. _

_Damon pulled up to a house not too far from her Grams. It was beautiful. "I thought we were getting lunch?" she asked. _

_"I'm going to make you lunch. I just did some work on permits for a contactor and he wanted me to see some of his work," Damon said as he opened the door. _

_"Can you renovate your apartment?" she asked. _

_"I was thinking about getting a house. A big one," he smiled. _

_"Is this your house?" _

_"No it's your house," he smiled. "Your name is on the deed." _

_"Please tell me you didn't do that Damon. My dad is building a nursery and he gets angry when I stay at your apartment."_

_"I'm barely a month Damon this is crazy," she said. _

_"Just look at it."_

_The more Bonnie saw the more in love she fell. The house had four bed rooms and an in-law suite. The backyard had an inground pool with a waterfall and a swing set. She could see their kids running through the halls. "This house is beautiful Damon." _

_"So are you going to move in with me?" he asked her. _

_"Okay," she said not believing what she just said. She was moving in with Damon Salvatore. The man that loved her best friend. _

_Damon wrapped his arms around her. "Okay."_

* * *

**_New Year's Eve _**

_Bonnie came into the bathroom in a champagne colored gown. It hugged all the right places and Damon knew he was a lucky man. He got to walk around town with the most beautiful woman in the world. And soon she was going to be his wife. "Could you put on my necklace?" she asked. _

_"Anything for you. Do you want to invite your dad over for brunch tomorrow?" Damon asked. _

_"Damon," she groaned. _

_"You have to tell him you're moving in with me," Damon yelled_

_"I am, everyone just found out I'm pregnant let's not give them a heart attack," she smiled. "Soon."_

_"Soon our baby is going to be here," he said kissing her temple. _

_"I will." _

_"I hope so." _

* * *

**Afterlife Mystic Falls Present day**

Bonnie could feel her memories fading of the life she had before the collapse of the Otherside. She felt like herself, but oddly not at the same time. She went down to the kitchen and Caroline was down there already. "Bonnie," she smiled.

"Great you're up so now we can work on the potion to send you back," she smiled.

"Send me back where?" Caroline asked as she made coffee.

"Home to Mystic Falls," Bonnie laughed.

"We're in Mystical Falls remember," Caroline said giving Bonnie a weirdout look.

"Care, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Coming in from the tournament and going to bed," shrugged.

"And how did you get here?"

"I flow business class," she smiled.

"Great," she smiled.

"Do you remember what happened with Klaus?"

"Who's Klaus?"

"No one," Bonnie smiled.

"Are you sure you look worried," she said in a rush.

"No it's okay Care."

* * *

Stefan woke next to Lexi. She looked exquisite with the orange haze of the sun hitting the side of her face. He ran his fingers through her blonde hair and severed the moment. It was nice to see her at peace. And just as the moment begin to settle he remembered what transpired between them the night before. They crossed the very clearly drawn out lines of friendship and there was no going back.

Lexi's eye peeped open and she yawned. "This is new," she grinned.

"A nice new," he said as he looked down at her.

"I agree," and that was all it took. They were a thing.

Stefan's phone rang, and he really didn't want to answer it, but it was Bonnie. "Hey sis, what's going on?"

"Caroline doesn't remember anything she has no idea how she got her and she's still a vampire, so she's kinda freaking out," Bonnie stammered through the phone.

"Okay, I'm coming over," he said hanging up.

"Is she okay?" Lexi asked.

"Caroline lost her memories and is still a vampire."

"But the only other vampire we know is Damon. I don't think one of us with a starving vampire is a good idea."

"We have to do something. Caroline and Damon aren't the best of friends."

"But she's Bonnie's best friend he'll help."

"If you think so," Stefan said with a skeptical look.

"I know so smarty pants."

* * *

Damon was in the kitchen feeding Sarah. She was in a mood and he couldn't figure out why. She refused to eat and kept pushing away from him when he tried to pick her up. "Look here missy you're going to sit there until you eat something and those blue eyes aren't getting you out of it," he yelled at her.

"Wow way to put on the daddy pants," Lexi laughed. Damon noticed her sporting Stefan's shirt and shorts. "I'm oddly proud of you."

"One I always wear my daddy pants, and two did you and Stefan get horizontal last night?"

"Not a topic to discuss at the moment," Stefan said coming into the kitchen.

"Bonnie needs help asap," he smiled.

"Stephone," Sarah screeched with a giggle.

"Yes it's Uncle Stefan," he said tickling her.

"Hey you can say Stefan but I can't get a dada," Damon grumbled. "Say dada," he tried to coach her.

"Moom," she said.

"Aw," Lexi smiled.

"No, not aw." Damon stood in front of her highchair and slowly said. "Daddy."

"Damon," she said clear as a bell.

"At least she knows who you are," Lexi said looking on the bright side.

"This is Bonnie's fault," Damon said taking her out of her chair."

"Damon it's too early for you to pick a fight with her. She needs your help. Be helpful," Stefan said.

"If she wanted my help she would have called."

"Just go."

* * *

"Bonnie," Damon called out.

"Where's Stefan?" she asked.

"He had a situation to deal with."

"Well I'll just wait for him. Thanks for coming," she smiled.

"Bonnie can we talk about what happed?" he asked her.

"I have nothing to say Damon. Everything we are always boils down to what you had with Elena. I'm not her, I love her to pieces Damon, but we aren't the same person. I'm so sorry I can't be her for you." She picked up Sarah and started to the steps.

"You need to stop doing that. Just because you yell at me it doesn't make a conversation over," he said.

"It does to me," she smiled back at him.

"Bonnie this is serious. This is the rest of our lives. So stop and talk to me," he said.

"What do you want from me?"

"For you to forgive me so we can move on," he yelled. "I just want your forgiveness Bonnie."

"Fine, I forgive you," she said.

"Fine," he said taking off his shirt. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Your dad is impossible," she said to Sarah as they walked to the toddler's room.

* * *

"Hey," she said coming into Damon's room.

"Hey," he said putting on his shirt. "You left this in here," he smirked as he gave her a grimore.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"You missed me," he smirked.

"So Caroline doesn't remember anything and she's still a vampire and coping was never a strong suit of hers," she smiled.

"Dancing around or relationship, never going to change are you Bennett?"

"Damon serious problem going on," she stressed.

"I have problems to like my daughter calling me Damon," he laughed.

"She talked?" she inquired.

"Yeah and she called me Damon."

"Did she say mommy?" she probed.

"No," he said and it wasn't a complete lie.

"You think we should send her to a specialist?"

"She's two you're over thinking this Bonnie."

"She should be blabbering nonstop at two, she's missing milestones, what if she has trauma?" Bonnie quaked.

"Why did I get you those baby books," he groaned.

"I just"-

"Want the best for her. I get it, but give her a chance. The kid is half vampire half witch and dealing with power suppressing," he said trying to comfort her.

"Thanks for being here," she smiled.

"I'm here to stay," he said as he kissed her cheek.


	13. Chapter 13

**I have a feeling some of you won't like the next few chapters because the feature Elmer's Glue and Jermajesty. Please don't hate me.**

* * *

"What do you mean she just vanished?" Elena asked Tyler as she sat in his living room with Matt, Jeremy, Enzo, Liv, and Alaric.

"They assumed the spell didn't work and she just disappeared," Tyler explained again.

Elena charged at Liv trying to take a chunk out of her neck. "You can't do anything right. You are just as useless as your brother," she yelled as she fought against everyone trying to hold her back.

"Elena stop it," Alaric yelled as he forced her back. He grabbed hold of her arms and looked into her eyes. "This isn't helping anyone. If Caroline found a way to get to Bonnie and Damon, then there's a way to bring them all back."

"Is there?" she asked looking at Liv.

The blond haired witch looked up at Tyler and back at Elena. "A very slim one."

"Send me there now," she ordered.

"Sorry sweetheart, but Tyler and I are going."

"I'm going alone, well with Abby," Tyler said as he stared down Enzo. He knew the vampire had feelings for Caroline and that was alright with him, but Liv didn't trust any of them. She barely trusted him.

"You can't just go with Abby," Elena protested.

"Yeah someone should go with you," Jeremy agreed.

"I'll go," Matt said and everyone turned their attention to him.

"No Matt you can't go," Elena yelled.

"I'm not helpless," he laughed.

"If you die you're gone," she said walking over to him. "I can't lose anyone else."

"This isn't about losing anyone. It's about getting them back. I'm going to bring them all back," he promised her. Elena simply nodded. "You need to stay here for Sheriff Forbes."

"So it's settled. Matt, Abby, and I are going to do the spell with Liv. Jeremy and Elena are going to watch over Sheriff Forbes, and Alaric and Enzo are going to help Liv figure out how to get us back."

"So you don't know how you're getting back?" Jeremy asked.

"We haven't gotten that far, but Liv gave me away to contact you guys. I'm sure Bonnie can reach out to one of you again if it doesn't work."

"What are you talking about Bonnie never contacted one of us?" Jeremy laughed.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but she made it so Stefan could be visited by Damon," Enzo said when no one else spoke up.

"That's not true," Elena intercepted. "Stefan would have told me about it, and Damon would have come to me," she smirked.

"He's right," Alaric confirmed. "Damon told Stefan there was no way to bring them back and to essentially stop trying. That's why he gave up. He didn't want to get your hopes up so he kept quiet."

"No more lying. We need to stop lying to each other," Elena said and stormed out of the house.

"Jer," Tyler said. "You okay?"

"Fine," He said storming out after Elena.

"I hope Abby shows up soon," Matt whispered.

"Jer said she'd be here."

* * *

"Look Goldilocks I get you're a stress eater, but those are mine," Damon snarled at his unwanted guess.

"You said it yourself B positive is my favorite," she smirked as she got her blood from the microwave when it danged.

"And when are you going home?" Damon asked as the blond vampire smiled at him.

"As soon as you can reassure me I won't rip someone's neck out," she said.

"No like out of this universe, dimension whatever you want to call it?" he asked.

"Aw, you're jealous I took my best friend back aren't you," she laughed. "Well you and Katherine are going to have to get used to being the background singers," she said with a shrug as she took her breakfast out to the patio.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked as she entered the kitchen with Sarah.

"Your BFF has officially out stayed her welcome," he frowned. "She needs to go."

"She's afraid of hurting someone."

"She did fine when you guys went to the mall, or the supermarket, and then the gym, and lunch with Anna. I'm beginning to think she's not even a vampire."

"Damon what's really going on with you?" Bonnie could sense his irritation was being misdirected at her friend.

"I just want to know what happens to this world's versions of us when that world's versions of us appears. Is Tyler looking for Caroline? Is…"

"Is Elena looking for Stefan?" she asked for him.

"And Matt, Alaric… Jeremy," he said with a raised brow.

"Let's just focus on Caroline and helping her get the hang of being a vampire again. Stefan and Lexi are going to take her off our hands for the night," she said.

Damon grabbed Sarah and threw her in the air. The toddler giggled. "So it's just daddy and his two girls for the night," Damon said as he give his little girl an Eskimo kiss.

"Yeah about that, I'm going to my grams tonight. I'm going to try and find something to reverse the memory loss," she told him, "and I think I'm on to a way back."

"That's too much magic Bonnie we talked about this," he warned her.

"Damon I know what I'm doing," she stressed.

"Yeah and then someone going to tell me you wanted to visit Jeremy in California, but you've really been dead for six month," he yelled.

"It was one summer when are you going to get over it?" she asked.

"Get over it? You were dead Bonnie and no one knew where you were. When I found your body do you have any idea what that felt like?" Sarah rubbed Damon's cheek and he calmed. "I'm sorry."

"I did it for Elena and Jeremy. I loved them more then I loved me. Their lives meant more than mine. That night at Prom when she attacked me. What she said. I just felt like it was all my fault. I should have saved him. I should have been powerful enough to keep Silas out of my head. I should have done more. I'm a Bennett witch and I… I was helpless," she said.

"Bon, it's different here, we're happy and there's no danger. Let's just be happy," he said as he stoked the side of her face. "Rah-Rah don't you like happy mommy."

Sarah got excited and pointed to Bonnie. "Mum."

"She said mom," Bonnie squealed.

"She said it yesterday," Lexi said as she and Stefan entered the kitchen.

"She said it yesterday," Bonnie said turning her fiery gaze to Damon.

"I made you're favorite for breakfast," he said to Sarah as he took her out to the patio.

* * *

"Are you honestly worried about Damon leaving you?" Caroline asked.

"No I'm worried about Stefan and what could happen when he's the only one with memories from the other Mystic Falls. That's why after I get you back there I'm going to do a memory spell so he can forget everything else."

"Bonnie I don't want to go back. I don't remember any of it. I just remember our life here and how much I've missed Mystic Falls and my parents. Everything is right here," she smiled.

"Care Elena needs you," Bonnie stressed. "More importantly you're mom needs you. She's probably worried sick about you and that's the last thing she needs."

"She'll be here soon. They'll all be here eventually," she shrugged. "I'm staying and you and that big man child you love can do absolutely nothing about it."

"I hate you," Bonnie groaned.

"Hey now you don't have to fight with Damon anymore and you can finally get laid."

"Hey that's not happening," Bonnie laughed.

"Yeah well you don't know this, but you guys were pretty freaky," she winked.

"Ew."

"Don't knock it tell you try it."

* * *

"What took you so long?" Damon asked when Bonnie opened the front door. Bonnie jumped and almost dropped her keys. "It's almost two in the morning?"

"Sorry dad I didn't know I had a curfew," Bonnie drunkenly laughed as she started past him.

Damon used his vampire speed to race in front of her and block her way to the stairs. "You said the spell was off and that you were taking Caroline to her dad's and coming home."

"Look Damon I'm not in the right state of mind for you to be blurring past me. And I"-

-"I don't care Bonnie, I was worried about you and you got drunk with Vampire Barbie god knows where with god knows who and"-

-"You're jealous," she laughed. "You're just jealous that I'm finally having a life and you're just a grumpy old vampire."

"Yeah because having strange men sweating all over you is fun."

Bonnie reached up and whispered in Damon's ear. "It is to me." She would blame her next move on the alcohol, but it was all desire. She licked his jaw and please a kiss on the side of his mouth careful not to touch his lips. "Goodnight Damon," Bonnie said walking around him and up the stairs.

Confusion quickly took hold of him. Everything inside of him was screaming at him to grab her and fuck her on the stairs. But she was Elena's best friend. The girl he fought his brother for was out there looking for him. The more he tried to talk himself out of going after Bonnie, the crazy the notion sounded. There was no conceivable way he had loved before Bonnie.

Damon made his way upstairs and he stopped at Bonnie's room. She stayed in the master bedroom they woke in. The door was cracked open, and that was his invitation. Damon pushed the door open and there she was. Her skin shadowed by the night, her eyes light by the glow of the moon seeping in through the curtains. She was already striped down and waiting for him.

"Are you coming to bed," Bonnie asked when he just stood there.

Damon smirked and took off his shirt. "Is that what you want?" he asked needing to make sure Bonnie understood there was no going back from here.

Bonnie used a little magic to get Damon out of his pants, and of course in true Damon fashion he had on no underwear. "Yes I am," she smirked.

Damon slowly strutted over to the bed and kneeled before her. He wedged himself between her legs and pulled her head down into a kiss. "I never wanted anything more than I want you right now," he confessed before he feasted on her.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Okay so I didn't include any Bamon sexy time, because I didn't want this to be mature, but if you guys want it I'll do it. There's a little Defan moment and a lot of Abby. I hope you guys like it and are ready for the next few chapters. Thanks for reading.**_

* * *

Abby was like a summers breeze-warm, gentle, and unpredictable. She spent months traveling the world trying to find what she was missing. When she first left Mystic Falls it was to protect Elena and Bonnie from the originals, but that wasn't the whole truth. Apart of her had always long for something more, when faced with the opportunity to go and never look back, she took it. In that time she realized she had everything she could ever hope for. A loving mother, a beautiful daughter, and a strong man by her side. She tried time and time again to go back, and beg their forgiveness. Now, there was no way to do that, they were all dead. Everyone that ever meant something to her were gone.

She lost her mother, husband, and daughter. She compelled Jamie out of her life and now she was truly alone. The months following Bonnie's first death had been unbearable. Of course they weren't close and Bonnie always kept her guard up, but they connected. Bonnie was just like her when she was young. Her daughter was so head strong, but she led with her heart, she was the peace keeper and set order with her friends. Bonnie was wise beyond her years and so kind.

Abby only wanted to protect her daughter from the dangers of the supernatural world. She thought staying away and letting Bonnie live in a world without magic would keep her safe. She and Rudy agreed that Bonnie would never know about her powers, and she was naïve to believe Shelia Bennett would let her only granddaughter's magic go to waste. O' the parallels of being a Bennett. Endless power, and a need to save the world with it. That was why her daughter lost her life. The balance of the worlds were always more important than the needs of the self.

Abby entered the acute care unit her childhood friend was in. Liz was the only other who knew where Abby went. She often shared stories about Bonnie when she wrote. Abby never told Bonnie, but she wasn't truly gone for long. She often corresponded with Miranda Gilbert as well as Rudy and Liz. They all reassured her Bonnie was happy and given the best.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Liz greeted once Abby entered the room.

"Frizzy Izzy," Abby laugh.

"That's better than Flabby Abby," Liz said and the pair smiled at each other before embracing.

"It's nice to see you again Mrs. Wilson," Elena said.

"You to Elena," Abby smiled.

"Could you give us a minute, maybe pick up my lunch?" Sheriff Forbes asked.

"Sure," Elena said and went on her way.

The pair waited for Elena to get out of ear shot. "I didn't think I could hold on much longer," Liz confessed.

Abby grabbed her friend's hand. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you Liz. I'm going to make sure we get to be with our babies again," she smiled.

"She missed Bonnie so much and she wanted to bring her back. I should have told her I was sick sooner. I should have noticed something, done something more for Bonnie. I'm sorry Abbs," Liz said as tears fell from her eyes.

"Izzy, Bonnie would do anything for the people she loves. And I'm proud of her, to have the courage to do what she did to save her friends. And this isn't the end," she said with tears in her eyes. She gave Liz a vial. "I promise."

"Thank you for not trying to talk me out of this."

"I know how you feel. And if I'm right, Caroline can't comeback from where they are," she confessed.

"Because vampires aren't natural beings and can't reenter the world," she laughed. "Sometimes I think about what Miranda would say to me."

"She'd say that she loves you more than anything, and thank you for taking care of our babies by yourself."

"I missed you two so much," she smiled.

"We'll all be together soon," Abby said.

* * *

Elena cried uncontrollably in the lobby as Alaric held her and Jeremy paced. "I just walked out for a second and then she was gone," she cried.

"It's not your fault," Alaric said.

"It's always my fault. Caroline left her mother in my hands and I couldn't take care of her. She died all alone. I should have been there. All I had to do was be there," she said.

"Elena how were you to know she was just going to die?"

"Still."

Alaric wiped a tear from her cheek. "Caroline is going to be so grateful for all we've done."

"She gone," Elena cried and Alaric cradled her.

* * *

Caroline had gotten used to life in Mystic Falls. She was getting control over her cravings for blood, and with Lexi and Stefan helping her she was slowly starting to readjust to everyday life. That why today she was preparing for a swim at the watering hole. It had been a while since she'd been there and it would be like old times.

However everyone seemed to be too busy to answer their phones. If she got another's person's voicemail she was going to scream. "Hello you've reach Bonnie leave me a message." Caroline shock her phone and it was crushed.

"Wow someone needs a nap," Liz joked.

"Haha… Mom," Caroline turned around to see her mom looking straight at her. "Mom!" she screamed excitedly.

"Oh honey I missed you so much," Liz cried.

"Bonnie told me you were sick."

"You don't remember?"

"I just remember what happened here. I woke up without any memories of that life, but I'm still a vampire," she groaned.

"You loved being a vampire."

"I'm starting to, I guess."

Liz sighed. "We'll make it work. We always do."

* * *

"Elena," Matt said as he entered the boarding house kitchen.

"Caroline took a lot of things to the lake house, but she left this box in Stefan's room. It's her mom's funeral plans. She planned everything down to her mother's pantyhose," she said and they both laughed.

"That Caroline, she's thorough."

"That she is."

"I was thinking that we should do the funeral when you guys get back. I want Care to be able to say goodbye. She would loss her mind if she knew she didn't get to say goodbye."

"That's actually why I'm here we're doing the spell and I wanted to check on you before we left."

"Thanks I'm going to go with you. I still don't trust Liv," Elena snared as she said her name.

"You have nothing to worry about. Abby got a better spell and she contacted Lucy to help get us back. Everything is fine," Matt said trying to reassure her, but the look on Elena's face said his words were meaningless.

"Well let's go," Matt said.

* * *

The pair arrived at the meeting place. It was the point where Bonnie and Damon went missing during the collapse of the other side. Elena had only been back to the cemetery a handful of times. She had devoted all her time to helping out at the hospital and getting her mind off of anything that didn't involve getting her friends back.

"Elena what are you doing here?" Abby asked.

"I'm just here to make sure everything goes okay this time, and Liv doesn't blow you all up and skip town."

"You"-

"Elena everything is fine, Liv is fine," Tyler said.

"You only think so because you're sleeping with her," she said making the pair blush.

"Elena," Abby said as she walked to her. "Everything is going to be okay," she smiled and caressed her face. "Promise."

"Thanks," Elena smiled.

Abby only nodded and returned to the circle where Tyler and now Matt were standing. "We only have a few more minutes until the moon is aligned with the mark. You should start the incantation."

Elena knew what she was thinking was stupid. She shouldn't do this she couldn't do this. The air started to stir and leaves blew around. After a few more moment thunder sounded and a light beamed from the bottom of the circle they were standing in. Once it grew Elena ran towards it.

* * *

Bonnie tried to get out of Damon's tight embrace, but he refused to let her go. "Damon," Bonnie begged.

"More?" he asked as he pulled her into his hard-on.

"No I have to pee," she mumbled.

Damon kissed her neck. "Then more?"

"DAMON!" she yelled.

"Okay, okay," he said as he let her go.

Bonnie went to the bathroom and felt a sharp pain in her chest. She didn't know how to explain it, but she knew someone she loved was in trouble. Bonnie didn't know how, soon she was crippled over on the floor crying uncontrollably. "Bonnie look at me. Bonnie tell me what's wrong."

Bonnie couldn't say anything, she didn't know what to do. All she could do was clutch her chest and cry out. Damon held onto her and tried to sooth her. Soon her cries turned to quiet sobs and Damon carried her back to bed. "Thank you," Bonnie said when Damon handed her a cup of water.

Damon rubbed her leg. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I just don't know what happened. I just felt this intense loss and I don't know who it came from. I'm going to call Caroline," Bonnie said reaching for her phone and seeing a missed call from Matt.

"I'm going to get Rah-Rah up and get started on breakfast," he said as he kissed her forehead.

Bonnie hide her phone screen and waited until she heard Damon taking Sarah down stairs to call Matt back. "Bonnie," Matt said. "Is that really you?"

"Matty it's me," she said and she could tell he was crying.

"Where are you? We came to bring you guys back," Matt confessed.

"We?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah. Tyler, Abby, and at the last minute Elena grabbed onto Tyler. I don't know where any of them are," he said. "I don't even know where I am. I just woke up next to some girl…Jessica."

"Matt you're in Pittsburg, Tyler's in New York, and Elena is probably in Portland," Bonnie sighed.

"You don't sound happy," Matt noted.

"It's complicated. I'm going to book you guys flights to Mystic Falls," she promised.

"I missed you," he confessed.

"I missed you more Matty," she said feeling a tear fall from her eye. "See you soon."

"I can't wait," he said and ended the call.

Bonnie immediately called Tyler. She had been meaning to do so since she talked to Damon about it, and it slipped her mind. Like Matt it didn't take long for Tyler to pick up. "Bonnie where are you?" he asked sounding both fearful and relieved.

"I'm in Mystic Falls. Caroline, Damon, and Stefan are here too."

"That's good."

"Listen I talked to Matt and I've booked you guys flights here. Someone will meet you guys at the airport when you land," she informed him.

"And what about your mom and Elena?" Tyler asked.

"Elena is my next call and I don't know how to find Abby," Bonnie confessed.

"Elena should have been your first call she's your best friend."

"I know Tyler," was all Bonnie said.

"Is everything okay?"

"It's a long story that I don't want to retell. Just hurry to the airport," Bonnie said.

"Okay," was all Tyler said.

Bonnie let out a slow groan before she went downstairs. She watch Damon dance around in the kitchen while he made pancakes. She chuckled to herself at his terrible dance moves. Bonnie walked into the kitchen unnoticed and took a pancake from Damon's stack. And he awkwardly stopped dancing. "You're finally down," Damon said as he flipped his pancakes.

"Damon I need to tell you something."

"Bonnie I know you were under the influence last night, but I don't regret what we did," he said. "I only want you."

"Elena's here. She got Abby, Tyler, and Matt to come rescue us. The others are on their way. I left Elena for you. Everything is set for her flight to Mystic Falls. You just have to tell her to come," she confessed.

Damon looked down at the phone in her hand. Elena. His Elena was here. He looked up at Bonnie and wanted to say so many things but nothing would come out. "I-You sure you want me to call her?"

"Yes I have to find Abby and tell Caroline, Stefan, and Grams," Bonnie said giving him the phone. She turned to leave and he grabbed her.

"I want this with you. She can't change that."

"Wait until you see her," Bonnie smiled and walked away.

* * *

Bonnie went to her Grams and the door was wide open. She immediately ran inside and looked around. Everything seemed to be in order. The silver and valuables were in place. "Grams," Bonnie called.

"Bonnie."

She turned at the sound of her name. Green eyes. Deep green eyes greeted her. "Oh Bonnie," Abby cried as she wrapped her arms around her little girl. "I thought I lost you again. I couldn't bear it," she cried.

"Mom," Bonnie cried grabbing hold of Abby. "You're here."

"I'm sorry it took me so long."

Once the pair settled they asked the other the same question, "Have you seen Grams?"

-Shelia?"

"It's not like her to go missing," Bonnie reasoned. "I should call her."

* * *

Damon hung up the phone again once it started to ring. He needed to get Elena on that plane and he needed to do it fast. A part of him was terrified that he'd see her and how much she loves him and then what? He didn't know what that would do to him. The only thing he knew was that he loved Bonnie. He had never been surer of anything.

Damon made the call again. He got past the first ring. Now the second. "Damon? Oh god Damon I thought I'd never find you… Are you there? Damon?"

"It's me," he said with a smile.

"It's so good to hear your voice," she sighed. "I missed you like crazy. I couldn't believe you left me," she cried.

"Yeah I'm sorry about everything. Look Elena you're in Portland Bonnie booked you a flight."-

"Great I'm on my way," she said and hung up the phone.

"Shit," he mumbled to himself.

* * *

Stefan couldn't help but laugh at Damon as he drank another blood bag. "It's funny because this is the very thing you hoped for isn't it?" Stefan said. "Now you don't have to run away to Elena because she found you."

"What about you Saint Stefan. Do you think once those memories of your life here with Elena start flooding in you and Lexi will last?" he asked shutting Stefan up. "I'm sorry."

"No you're right this isn't funny. We need to figure out how to handle this. There are too many people entering here and if they don't leave there's only going to be more."

"We both know Elena Gilbert isn't leaving without one of us," he laughed. "I really thought for just a split second that maybe life could be easy-simple. That I could have it all, and enjoy every day."

"You can."

Damon smirked at his brother. He and Bonnie had the same sacrificial lamb expression when they were plotting their own demise. "Don't. This is my mess. I have to clean it."

"I can get Elena to leave, we just need a spell and someone to cast it."

"One she'd never forgive you, two… I need you here, I want you here," he smiled.

Stefan smiled up at his brother. "Brother," he said extending his arm.

"Brother," Damon said shaking his hand and embracing his brother.

* * *

"Child you know how long it's been since I've had a night out. Now you sitting in this house rushing me to get her for what?" Shelia said as she walked with Bonnie to the kitchen.

"Mother," Abby said as she stood. Shelia walked up to her daughter with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she started but Shelia hugged her.

"It's okay child," Shelia said.

"I missed you so much."

"I thought I was just a nagging control freak," she laughed.

"You were right. I was giving up a lot for a good reason, but not the right one."

"Come here," she said hugging her daughter again.


	15. Chapter 15

Qetsiyah tried to get the knife next to her. She wiggled and squirmed trying to snake it up to her tied hands. Lexi was still unconscious and they were finally alone. She couldn't use her powers, and she feared what the mortal would do to them upon his return. Qetsiyah was finally able to grab hold of the knife and held it steady. She moved her arms up and down until the rope broke and her hands were free. She picked up the knife and cute at the rope around her tying her and Lexi to the beam in the middle of the room.

"Lexi," Qetsiyah called as she tried to wake her friend. Lexi had a wound on her side and she had no pulse, but she was breathing. "Come on," Qetsiyah said as she gently lifted Lexi and dragged her to the door. They were in some kind of barn in the middle of nowhere.

Once out Qetsiyah used a cloaking spell to hide them. She checked Lexi again. "Please wake up," she said as she took out her phone and called Katherine. She didn't really have any signal and the call dropped. She walked a little deeper in the woods and got two bars. She tired her call again and got through.

"Hey when you said meet you for lunch I assumed you meant that day, not the next day," Katherine frowned.

"I've been gone for a whole day?" she questioned.

"Are you okay," Katherine said starting to panic. "You're going in and out."

"Now you're worried."

"Don't act like you don't disappear on me all the time."

"It was twice and they were emergencies."

"It's always an emergency," Katherine grumbled.

"Well this is. I was going to meet you and I saw this guy take Lexi from the grille. He was dragging her to a van, and I tried to stop him, and everything just went black. I woke up in a barn and Lexi isn't waking up," she confessed.

"Do you know where you are?" she asked.

"No I've never been here. I barely have cell service so I don't know if my GPS will work."

"I'll get Shelia to do a locator spell," Kat said.

"Tell her to be careful they know I'm a witch and the place I was in was warded against magic," she added.

"Kay babe got it," Katherine said as she headed for the door. When she opened the door two men dressed in all black wearing mask were there. "Great," she said quickly closing the door and putting on the deadbolt. Kat ran to the fire escape of her apartment and there was a creepy black van by it. She ran up to the old lady on on the tenth floor's apartment. She always kept the window open for the cat.

"Katherine," the old woman said when Kat climbed into her kitchen.

"Hi I smelled the food and came right up. Do you have enough for two?" she asked.

"I always do for a nice girl like you," she said putting chilly into a bowl.

"Wonderful, do you mind if I use your bathroom?" Kat asked.

"Not at all honey go ahead."

Kat ran in the bathroom and locked the door. She called the only person that could possible help her. "Kat I'm in the middle of something."

"Well something bigger is happening it will have to wait."

"Split ends aren't the end of the world."

"They are if they happen when you're dead," she yelled.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked.

"No I'm not okay, creepy guys are trying to kidnap me and I'm stuck in the world's tackiest bathroom," she cried.

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie asked.

"Someone was trying to kidnap Lexi and when Qetsiyah tried to stop them they took her too. Now I'm next. You have to come get me," she cried. "I'm too beautiful and young to die." Bonnie laughed. "This isn't funny."

"Look Elena, Matt, Tyler, and my mom are here I have lot on my plate Kat," she said.

"I'm in mortal danger and so is your relative and best friend. You have got to save us," Katherine said.

"Fine, but there better be big dangerous guys or I'm going to kill you."

"Why would I make something so ridiculous up?" Kat groaned.

"You're a narcissistic, attention-seeker," she shrugged.

"Just get here!" Katherine yelled.

* * *

Bonnie called Caroline and the two agreed that they would go over to Katherine's together. Bonnie waited outside Caroline's in her Gram's SUV. She made a quick call to Stefan. "Hey sis what's up?"

"Have you heard from Lexi today?"

"Actually I've been looking for her myself. We hung out at the grille and then she went MIA," he confessed.

"Um, okay," Bonnie said.

"That doesn't sound like everything is okay," he informed her.

"Has Tyler's and Matt's flights come in yet?" Bonnie asked changing the subject.

"They land in 30 minutes is Lexi okay," he asked.

"Let me know when they get here," Bonnie sad and hung up the phone.

"Is everything okay?" Caroline asked as she got into the car.

"Stefan hadn't seen or heard from Lexi since they went to the grille," Bonnie said as she started the car and zoomed off.

"So Kat might be telling the truth and they are in mortal danger," Caroline said as she put her seatbelt on.

"Correct," Bonnie said. "Just when I thought I had a normal life."

"You're a witch how normal did you think your life would be?" Caroline said.

"You're right."

* * *

"Call her," Stefan urged Damon.

"If she won't answer you why would she answer me? Try Caroline," Damon offered.

"I did seven times and nothing," he said.

"Fine. If everything is okay I'm going to kill you." Damon called Bonnie and she answered. "Where are you?" he asked her.

"I'm at Qetsiyah and Katherine's apartment. Are you with Stefan?"

"Yeah"-

-"Don't let him know I asked," she said as she walked into the building.

"Sarah took a nap."

"Lexi and Qetsiyah were kidnapped, and there are men chasing Katherine. Caroline and I are going to get her out," she said.

"Why didn't you call me?" he asked.

"I don't know where Lexi and Qetsiyah are and I thought Kat was lying until I talked to Stefan. I have to get Kat. I'll call you."

"As soon as you get back in the car preferably," he said.

"I love you," she said.

"I'll always love you."

Stefan stared at his brother. "So?" he asked Damon.

"Lexi was feeling a little under the weather. Bon said she doesn't want you brooding all over her so that's it," Damon shrugged.

"You're lying," Stefan accused.

"If I am it's for your own good."

"What' going on?"

"The world is imploding," Damon said with a smile.

* * *

"Daddy?" Caroline called out when they entered Katherine's apartment building.

"I thought you were taking your mother to Shelia's?" he asked her.

"I did we're here to see Kat," Caroline smiled.

"I just saw her leave with Qetsiyah," Bill Forbes said.

The girls glanced at each other. "You sure I just talked to her she said she was about to jump in the shower," Bonnie said.

"Yep, I saw them leave," he reiterated.

"Somno," Bonnie said and Bill Forbes fell to the floor.

Caroline picked her father up and carried him to the elevator. "Thanks for not killing him," she said.

"Damon would have killed him. We don't know anything yet so we just wait," Bonnie said.

"I can't believe he just lied to us," Caroline said.

"Well you haven't been completely honest with him either. We need a plan. You carrying your father around isn't going to be easy to explain," Bonnie said.

"Well maybe you should do a cloaking spell," Caroline suggested.

"That will work until the old lady Katherine is with shows up," Bonnie reasoned.

"How about you cloak my dad, or just the two of us," she said.

"Okay," Bonnie said doing a simple cloaking spell. "This will last for half an hour."

"More time then we need."

"Yeah well try to remember that people can't see you, but they can hear you Care," Bonnie laughed.

"Right no"- Caroline was instantly quiet when she realized what she was doing.

"That a girl," Bonnie laughed as they walked to the girl's apartment.

Once they rounded the corner there was a group standing by their door. "Isn't that Pastor Young," Bonnie noted.

"And that's Connor Fell," Caroline noted.

"Ohmigod," Bonnie said. "They've revived the founder's council."

"That was always a thing remember."

"This aspect specializes in the supernatural predominantly vampires."

"Oh bad," Caroline mumbled.

"Correct," Bonnie said. "It looks like they're searching for something."

"What could they possible want in Katherine's apartment?"

"No," Bonnie yelled.

"What?" Caroline asked.

"Katherine wasn't what draw them here…"

"Qetsiyah… But what are they looking for?"

"I'm going to take the ward down off of you to veil only your dad. That way I can do a spell to cloak anything in there with magical properties," Bonnie said and after a few moments Caroline was visible again and the spell was complete.

"Let's get Katherine and get to my Grams," Bonnie suggested.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Caroline agreed.

* * *

Damon had been preparing himself for the worse. Bonnie still hadn't called him and his patience with Stefan's brooding was starting to waver. He should have left Stefan in the dark but the more the younger Salvatore probed the more the old caved. "To think I missed that broody little brow," Damon teased.

"It's hard to just sit around and…"-

-"Wait like a powerless pathetic human," Damon smiled.

"What you did was idiotic and selfish."

"But if I had to run off in to danger for any of you I could. Do you know the trouble Bonnie could and would get herself into to protect you guys? I had to do this to protect her," he yelled. "You see. I'm not as selfish as you make me out to be."

"I know that, I was just waiting for you to catch up," Stefan laughed. "Thanks for taking care of me, everyone."

"What are dysfunctional families for," he said with a wink before he embraced his brother.

* * *

"I know you're out here witch. You bring that girl back," the man that was holding them captive demanded. Qetsiyah tried to walk out to the edge of the forest with Lexi. Once the made it to the road were the thick canopy didn't cover Lexi let out a loud scream and her skin start to bubble.

"No," Qetsiyah said as she backed up.

"I'm gonna get you two," The man said running towards the sound of Lexi's scream.

"Lexi just sit here and try not to say and thing," she ordered the dazed girl.

"mutationes nubibus, Lavabis me lacrimis," Qetsiyah said causing the sky to darken and fat drops of ran to fall from the clouds. "Okay let try to make it to the road," she said helping Lexi up.

The pair walked to the road and saw two bright light approaching. Qetsiyah's stomach jumped knowing that this was her chance for freedom. They were finally going to be rescued.

* * *

"So you're saying that this world is in danger?" Katherine asked.

"No I'm saying that the balance is upset and we need to figure out how to fix it, before this world is in danger."

"So we send Tyler, Matt, and Elena back?" Caroline asked sounding disappointed.

"There's a version of them in this world too. We still don't know how all of this works. We can't just keep them all here Care," Bonnie stressed.

"And you too blondie," Katherine said.

"Kat," Bonnie protested.

"She didn't cross over by means of death. You, Damon, Lexi, and even Stefan made the journey over through death. That's why the balance is out of sorts."

"Do you think this is my fault?" Caroline asked.

"No I don't I think it hast to do with the multitude and way the others crossed over. Abby said they used a different spell."

"So we need to get to Abby and learn more about the spell, after we find Qetsiyah."

As Katherine opened her mouth, the sky opened, and it started to pour. "We're close to her. I can feel her magic," Katherine said.

"I feel it too," Bonnie said as she turned to headlights up and windshield wipers on.

"Stop," Katherine said as she opened the door.

"It took you long enough," Qetsiyah said.

"Ohmigod," Caroline said as she helped them get Lexi into the car.

* * *

"Are you guys okay?" Damon asked.

"We're fine," Bonnie reassured him.

"You're best friend's dad is unconscious in the backseat of your car," he reminded her. "You don't have to lie to me. We're past that Bennett."

Bonnie sighed. "I just thought we caught a break and found real happiness. I don't think I'll ever really know how it feels to be normal and have normal worries. I got closest with you."

"Bonnie you don't have to do this. We could pack up and get out of Mystic Falls. You could go on the road with you dad for a while if you want to get him out of here. We could have that."

"Damon it's not in our nature to run," she reminded him.

"You're right," he laughed. "But if you want the offer is always on the table."

"I'll be sure to remember that."

"Promise if it's too much you'll remember," he pressed.

"I promise to remember."

"I love you," he said.

"I'll always love you."

* * *

Stefan looked around the terminal for the guys. Tyler's and Matt's flight connected. He had to gather them so he could drive down the road to the next terminal where Elena would be arriving in less than five minutes. And there they were talking to a flight attendant. "Hey guys?" Stefan called over to them.

"Sorry we've got to go," Tyler said as they walked over to Stefan.

"It was nice meeting you," Matt called after him.

"We're running on a short clock I have to get you guys back to Shelia's," Stefan said as they rushed to the car.

"Like Bonnie's dead grandma Shelia?" Tyler asked.

"If you weren't aware everyone here is dead," Stefan reminded him.

"So she was?" Matt questioned.

"Hopefully not in a plan crash, that would be ironic," Stefan said.

The guys laughed lightly and they fell into a comfortable silence before Matt asked. "What happened to Bonnie?"

"Yeah she said she had something to tell us."

"Something came up and she had to look into it," Stefan said.

"So something magical is going on here?" Matt asked.

"In a way," Stefan said.

"Are you going to dance around the truth all day," Tyler asked sounding annoyed.

"The less you know the less Elena knows, the less she worries, the less we all worry," Stefan informed them. "Speaking of," Stefan said as he pulled up and saw Elena walk out of the terminal doors.

Elena smiled and waved at the all as she got into the car. "So where are Damon and Bonnie?" she asked.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N hey there I just started Grad school so updates might be slow. **

* * *

Bonnie always knew this day would come. She feared it most. She knew in the back of her mind that Damon would have to make a choice. A real choice between her and Elena. While Bonnie would like to believe that when it boiled down to a choice between her and Elena, the man she loved and trusted most would choose her ever time, she felt that wasn't the case. Afterlife!Elena didn't love Damon. She made that perfectly clear when she moved across the country to be with Stefan. This!Elena loved Damon with every fiber of her being. Bonnie wish she wasn't this vain, in the mist of danger, but all she could think about was her relationship with Damon and if she really had one.

She tried to focus on the book in front of her, but all she could focus on were Damon and Elena. She wondered if the met up yet. Were they talking about her? Did he tell Elena he loved her? Did Damon still love Elena? Does she know about Sarah? Did she kiss him? Did he kiss her back? Are they having sex? "Bonnie… Earth to Bonnie," Katherine said snapping out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry what?"

"You've been on the same page for an hour," Caroline noted.

"And I was asking you about a cloaking spell to hide supernatural creates," Katherine added.

"That sounds like a good idea. I can work on that with Qetsiyah," Bonnie agreed as she flipped through a different grimoire.

"So… are we not going to talk about Damon and the pathetic version of me?" Katherine asked.

"I'm so glad you're winning personality carried over," Bonnie said with a glare.

"You love me," she smiled.

"I don't want to talk about this," Bonnie frowned. "We need to focus on getting things here back on the right track. We can cloak and hide, but that doesn't make the problem go away."

"Well we all know how to make the problem go away," Katherine said as she glanced at Caroline through the corner of her eye and tapped her nose.

"Kat, Caroline isn't going anywhere," Bonnie stressed. "We don't know why this happened, but Lexi, Damon, and Care are vampires and we have to deal with this now."

"Bonnie if you're not counting your mother, Elena, and Tyler as vampires," Katherine said.

"Tyler is a werewolf," Caroline said.

"No he's a hybrid," Bonnie informed her.

"No after we came back through the veil he wasn't a hybrid."

"How do you know that?"

"I-I don't really know, I just do," Caroline said.

"That's convient," Katherine muttered.

"Kat."

"If you're not going to be helpful you could've went with Qetsiyah to make Lexi's daylight ring," Caroline muttered.

"I'm just doing what you two fail at. We need to be realistic about this. Everything was fine up until two days ago. And what all changed?"

"I've been here longer than that," Caroline spat back.

"She's right," Bonnie said. "When Caroline came it was like when the veil collapsed. The world just accepted her, more so then us. Whatever spell you used to get here it made this world more excepting of you. Maybe I can rework it to do the same for everyone else," Bonnie said.

-"No," Katherine yelled as Caroline said "Are you insane?"

"I thought you'd like this idea," Bonnie said more so to Caroline than Katherine.

"I know, but if they don't go back someone else will come to find them. Then we're back at square one."

"And they don't want to stay here. They came looking to rescue you guys," Katherine added.

"What if they want to stay? What if we make it clear we're not going back, and give them a choice to leave or stay?"

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Caroline asked. Caroline knew Bonnie wanted to stay with Damon, but there was a part of her that wondered if This!Elena would let Damon go.

"I can't leave Sarah and I don't plan on it. We give them a chance to make a choice. Show them what life here for them is like, and leave it up to them," Bonnie smiled.

"And if this, taking Caroline's spell and changing it, doesn't work? What then Bon-Bon?"

"Then they'll have to leave, and we'll fix things here," Bonnie said, "But only if this doesn't work."

* * *

When Bonnie got to the manor, she was surprised to see that only Damon's car was parked in the drive way. She went into the kitchen to see Damon chasing their little girl around. Sarah ran around the table and to Bonnie. "Mum," she giggled as she jumped into Bonnie's arms.

"Hi baby girl," she said as she tickled the toddler. "Are you being a bad girl?" she asked.

Damon walked over and took Sarah. "She wouldn't stop looking for you," he said. "She didn't believe you were coming back soon."

"I missed you too stinky feet," she laughed. "Did something happen with their flights?"

"No Stefan should be here any minute. How are things on the council front?" he asked hoping they made some leeway in one situation.

"I think I found a solution. I need to get the spell Abby and Caroline used to get here and try and tweak them to see how I can make our world more excepting to them," she smiled.

"So that means they're staying? You sure about that?"

"If they want to," she said and his expression soured. "What?"

"I understand you love your friends, but I think it's time to say goodbye," Damon said.

"Abby," Bonnie said.

"Bon," Damon sighed.

"You have your mom and dad, and Stefan, and its great having my dad and Grams, but now we get to start over. I get to give Sarah everything I wanted when I was a child," she said as she caressed Sarah's face.

"Bon, Sarah has everything she needs. Abby had a wealth of chances to do right by you, and it took you dying for her to step up."

"I know we were reconnecting before…"

"I know," he said as he kissed her.

"Damon!" Elena yelled.

Damon and Bonnie turned to see Stefan, Elena, Matt, and Tyler standing in the door way. There was a whirlwind of emotions on everyone's faces, and neither knew quite what to say. "Elena we can explain," Bonnie said.

"Someone needs to," she yelled.

* * *

"Do you think we can find a way to fix this?" Katherine asked Qetsiyah.

"Bonnie's plan should work, with Shelia and me helping her, it should work better," Qetsiyah said.

"I just feel like we should leave this alone. If this world doesn't want the less attractive version of me then so be it." She shrugged.

"You're so vain," Qetsiyah smirked.

"I just like things as they are, and this council managed to turn Lexi into a vampire, and there's nothing we can do about it," she added.

"I know. But Lexi still has her pre-death memories. Unlike with Caroline, this will work out. She's already accepted this is who she is."

"I suppose," Katherine smiled.

"You shouldn't worry so much about everyone. Everything is working out fine."

"Not with Bonnie and Damon and we both know it," Katherine sighed.

"They always have this way of finding each other. I'm sure things will work out."

* * *

Damon ordered takeout before Bonnie arrived and to his relief the pizza man was at the door. It would be harder for everyone to yell and scream with pizza in their mouths. Stefan took Sarah and went to pay the pizza man. The gang took a seat at the dining room table because it had room for twelve.

"I don't know how much Stefan told you," Bonnie started.

"He gave us nothing," Matt informed her.

"Okay. Let's start with the basics. So this is where everyone is meant to go when they've moved on. My Grams calls it The Afterlife. This world controls what you're afterlife will be and it allows for a version of you to exist while you're alive."-

"Like an alternate version of yourself?" Tyler asked.

"Yes?"

"That doesn't explain why you two were kissing," Elena said. She was obviously irritated and hadn't stopped glaring at Damon since she saw them kissing.

"But it does," Damon said. "Bonnie and I are together in this world. Sarah is our daughter," he added.

Elena looked confused. "But-but how is that even possible?" she asked. You could hear the hurt in her voice as it cracked.

"When we were there, on the Otherside, and it was falling down around us I held her hand. The next thing I knew Sarah was screaming in my ear," Damon answered.

"None of this was intentional it just happened," Bonnie added.

Elena thought for a moment that Damon and Bonnie's relationship was just a mirror of this world. She reasoned that once they were home things would go back to how they were. "So when we go back this version of you guys will be together?" Elena asked. Just then Stefan walked back in with Sarah.

"We aren't going back," Bonnie objected.

"You can. We can get you back," Elena smiled.

"Elena we don't want to go back," Stefan said. "We're dead that's it. There's no do over this time."

"How many times have one of us died? We can get you back," Elena yelled. "Abby is going to get us all back."

"Abby was never going back," Bonnie stressed.

"No, she was going to send us back," Tyler said.

"I don't doubt that, but she never planned on going back with you," Bonnie clarified.

"I don't understand. Why would you want to stay here? Away from your lives, your friends?" Elena asked.

"We have all of that here. We belong here," Bonnie said with irritation in her voice.

"No you don't!" Elena yelled.

Sarah didn't like how angry everyone was so she started to cry. Stefan rocked the girl, but Bonnie took her. "I think she needs a break," Bonnie said taking Sarah into the other room.

"We can't leave. If we do Sarah doesn't exist," Damon said.

"She shouldn't," Elena blurted out.

Damon's eye narrowed at her and she knew she put her foot in her mouth when she saw that Stefan's expression mirrored his brother's. Tyler and Matt decided to stuff their faces, both hopping not to be dragged into the conversation.

* * *

"Abigail what are you doing?" Shelia watched as her daughter tried to lite a candle. "You're still a vampire nothing's going to happen."

"There's a group of vampires that are witches. They're called"-

"Heretics," Shelia concluded. "How did you hear about them?"

"Lucy."

"Joanna's girl?" Shelia asked.

"Yes. I've been able to channel some of my powers, but I'm hoping I can do more here. I need to see if Lucy is in Mystic Falls and if she can help send the kids back," Abby added.

"So you planned on sending them back this whole time?" Shelia smirked at her daughter.

"We both know I can't go back, because I'm a vampire. I never meant for Elena to come, and hopefully I can figure out a way to send her back," Abby added.

-"We bet you to it," Katherine said.

"Bonnie thinks she knows how to send them back, but she needs the spell you used to get here," Qetsiyah added.

* * *

Damon and Elena had been screaming at each other for about forty-five minutes. Stefan stayed to play referee, but Matt and Tyler decided to check on Bonnie. The boys found her in Sarah's bedroom. Sarah and Bonnie were floating feathers. Sarah knew how to make them swirl around, but Bonnie had to keep them in the air for her.

"You guys are having all the fun," Tyler said as he came in.

"She likes to make them dance," Bonnie smiled.

"She's really good at that," Matt laughed.

"Yep, she's really powerful," Bonnie gushed.

"She's adorable," Tyler added.

"That's because she looks like you," Matt winked.

"Thanks guys," Bonnie said with a laugh. "Sometimes it's hard to believe she's real. But I just look into her eyes and I know the world is right," she said as she kissed the top of Sarah's head.

"You guys look happy."

"Are you happy?" Honestly that was all Tyler and Matt cared about. If Bonnie was happy and she wanted to stay here, then they weren't going to fight her on it. Bonnie sacrificed herself far too many times for them to take this happiness away from her.

"I am. I know Damon and I were a far cry from this, but it works."

"I wouldn't say a far cry," Tyler mumbled.

"He defiantly had heart eye for you," Matt added.

"_Where's witchy? Can you tell Sabrina to give me a call?_"

"_Glinda's the only useful one out of all of you. The Wicked Witch is late again_," Matt laughed.

"Hey," Bonnie said forging offense.

"Sired!Elena did say that he kinda loved you," Matt winked.

"That's creepy," Tyler added and the trio laughed.

When they finally sobered Bonnie decided to finish their discussion. "We decided that you guys should get a choice to stay or leave. Caroline already made her choice, and she wants to stay with her mom and dad. So if you guys want to stay with your loved ones, I won't be the one to make you leave," Bonnie told them.

"Is… Is Vicky here?" Matt asked.

Bonnie smiled. "You want to see her?"

"And my mom and dad?" Tyler asked.

"And Mason. He and Damon are friends," she laughed. "Things are different here though."

"I don't care I want to see Vic," Matt said.

"Same," Tyler agreed.

"Okay," Bonnie smiled. "Let's get some shoes for you," she said as she go up and tossed Sarah lightly in the air.

* * *

"It hasn't been a few months Damon. These feelings they aren't real," She yelled. "This isn't you."

"Time is different here. Memories fade too. I just don't feel the same, and you deserve to live your life and be happy. We weren't close to happy," Damon yelled.

"I was."

"No you weren't Elena. All we did was fight and fuck. Sometimes we fought more than we fucked, but that was it. I lied to you. Hide things from you. Used your feelings for me. You should be running for the hills."

"I'm not because I love you."

"Or you're just stupid," Damon shrugged.

Elena narrowed her eyes. "I know you love me," she said, "Come home Damon," she said as she placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him softly.

"Elena stop," Damon said pulling away from her. "I don't want to be with you. I'm not what you need."

"Damon don't," she whined.

Damon's eyes turned to Bonnie. "Bonnie I," he started, but she gave him a smile, and he knew she understood.

"I'm going to take them for a ride. Do you want to come Elena?" Bonnie asked.

Elena faced away from her friends and tried to hide her sobs. "No I'm fine," she lied.

"If you're sure," Bonnie said leaving the invitation open.

"I'm sure."


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for the extremely long wait. I hope you guys enjoy this.** **I'm thinking about putting Lucy and Enzo together, but I'm not sure, and Forwood is going to be in this if that wasn't clear before. **

* * *

Bonnie pulled up to a small town house on the north end of town. It wasn't much to look at, but it had a rustic charm. The garden was beautiful. It was full of flowers and peppers. The boys got out of the car, and Matt grabbed the baby bag, while Tyler helped Bonnie get Sarah out of the car. "You ready?" Bonnie asked Matt as they stood outside the house.

"Yeah," he laughed as he rang the doorbell.

Vicki opened the door and she looked shocked. "Matty what are you doing here?" she asked.

Matt took his sister into a tight embrace and kissed her cheek. "I missed you so much," he whispered in her ear.

"I just talked to you," she said as she took in the sight of her brother. "Have you been eating?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Bonnie, Tyler I'm sorry guys come in," she said as she welcomed them into her home.

* * *

Jeremy paced the floor of the boarding house causing the floor board to squeak in his wake. Enzo repeated his mantra to himself trying his hardest not to kill to young Gilbert boy. Alaric worked with Liv to find a spell that would help them communicate with Abby, and that was going nowhere.

The door suddenly opened and everyone turned their attention to it. "It looks like I came in time."

"Lucy," Jeremy said as he walked over to welcome her.

"Did Abby give you a way to contact her?" Alaric asked.

"Yes," Lucy said. "She said there's a witch that will help me bring them back?" She said as she turned her attention to Liv.

"That misfortune is mean," Liv half smiled.

"Aren't you a ray of sunshine," Lucy smiled. She turned her attention to Alaric. "Do you have everything ready?"

"I just need one more thing you asked for, but Elena is on the otherside with them."

"The doppelgänger?"

"Yes."

"We'll just need more power. I'll call in a favor form a family friend."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. They just might refuse to help," she smiled and went to make her call.

* * *

_Bonnie walked up the pathway to the clinic. Snow began to cover the ground and it was starting to stick. She hoped to God that her appoint wouldn't take too long. When she made it to the door she was greeted by a familiar set of pearly white teeth. Bonnie gulped and gave him an uneasy smile. "Hello stranger." _

_"Hey, Stefan fancy meeting you here," she said with a shaky smile._

_"What I come to the women's clinic all the time," he laughed. _

_"Sure," Bonnie said laughing with him. _

_"I'm here a lot now that Elena is doing some volunteer work here," Stefan said._

_"Elena's in there," she gasped. _

_"Yes, her dad put in a good word for her," Stefan said. "Isn't that why you're here?"_

_"I have an appointment," she groaned. _

_"Isn't Damon in Port Richmond?" _

_"I know," Bonnie said. _

_"He doesn't know you're here and neither does Elena," Stefan groaned. "Bonnie I know this isn't an ideal situation, but we care about you. And you don't have to do this by yourself."_

_"I'm not doing it by myself, I have my parents, Grams, Care, Matt, and Tyler. Vicky even gave me these maternity pants, now if you excuse me I have somewhere to be." She said going inside. _

_"Wait," Stefan called after her. "Can I come with you?" _

_Bonnie looked at him and chewed on her lip. "I don't know," _

_"I want my nephew to know I'm always going to be there for him," Stefan smiled. "Please Bon."_

_"Ok," she said. _

_"Thank you." _

* * *

Stefan shuttered at the memory. He never felt anything so powerful. He could feel the brisk wind as it blew snowflakes on him. He could still his concern for Bonnie. It was like a freshly opened wound. "Stefan," Elena called to him.

Stefan turned and looked at his brother and the girl he once loved more than anything. "Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me about Damon and the dream?"

Stefan panicked for a second. Ten he came to his senses. "I didn't have to." He said as if it was the simplest conclusion.

"What?"

"He's my brother. He came to me to tell me to live my life. The dream had nothing to do with you or anyone else. It was my business so I kept it to myself," Stefna informed her.

"You told Caroline and Ric."

"I was trying to understand what happened. I needed a friend and it asn't going to be you Elena." Stefan scuffed. "All of your calls were about your pain. Everything was about your pain. I LOST MY BROTHER. The one constant I had for 150 years. That meant nothing to you," Stefan yelled and walked out of the room.

Elena sighed.

"Go talk to him," Damon suggested.

"I don't know what to say."

"Start with I'm sorry, and when Bonnie gets back you should try it with her too," Damon said going to the front door.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"I have to see a friend. You're parents are here, if you want to see them before Bonnie sends you back." It was the last thing he said before he left. He didn't bother to wait for a response.

* * *

"I think I'm going to stay," Tyler said as they left Vicky's. "You don't know how long I've wanted this. For things to be the way they were meant to. Before we knew about werewolves and vampires and witches. I want this," Tyler smiled.

"Tyler you're engaged," Bonnie smiled.

"Really?" he asked. "To who?"

"Care. And she doesn't have a clue about what happened before she came her. Nothing more than we told her. We still don't know what happened. She just woke up a different person."

"Wait-what?" he asked.

"You and Caroline are engage, the week after graduation you guys are going to tie the knot," Bonnie smiled.

"How very Caroline," Matt laughed.

"Yeah," Bonnie smiled. "You don't have to live the life you have here, obviously Stefan's not and everyone's okay with it."

"I can't just do that if Care thinks we're getting married," Tyler laughed.

"Maybe you should talk to her before you decide," Matt suggested.

"Yeah I have to get the potion ready anyway."

"Okay."

* * *

Damon stood outside the Forbes residence waiting for Liz. He looked out at the yard. It was full of flowers and veggies. Caroline started to garden a few years back and it was something Liz continued to to while her daughter was away at school. "If it isn't the devil himself. I didn't know you made house calls," she teased.

Damon turned and grinned at her. He gave her a hug and they just laughed for a while.

They pair seat on the porch swing talking and the topic of her death finally came up. "Why didn't you say anything to us?" he asked.

"It wasn't the time."

"You were dying we would have made the time."

"That's not what I wanted. You guys needed to focus on dealing with the Otherside. We had to protect the town," Liz smiled.

"I don't think that's ever going to stop."

"It seems that way. Caroline told me about Lexi. How is she?"

"Holding up well."

"Hopefully this will pass."

"I think it will."

* * *

Elena didn't get the chance to talk to Stefan. He left the manor before she could even call out his name. Devastated by the state of things Elena made her way to her childhood home. It stood tall in its former glory. She put her hand against the red door and heard her father's voice. A smile slowly etched itself on her face. She opened the door and attempted to go inside, but couldn't. Elena growled. "This can't be happening."

"Sweetie what are you doing here?" her mother asked.

"I'm not welcomed here?" Elena smiled.

"Of course you are. Come in and I'll fix you a plate," her mom smiled.

"Okay," Elena said.

Elena sat in the kitchen with her parent and her aunt Jenna. She never expected to see them again and fought hard to fight her tears. They had polite conversation, before her father excused himself and headed to the hospital. She offered to help her mom put the rest of the food away, since Jenna was working on the dishes.

"Are you going to tell us what brings you here from Seattle?" she asked.

"I just really missed my family. I wish I could take you all with me," she smiled.

Jenna hugged Elena. "Just because things didn't work out with Stefan doesn't mean you can't make Seattle your home. You really made something wonderful for yourself their sweetie," he mother said.

"I just love him a lot, and it's hard to believe he doesn't love me anymore. I won't believe it after everything we've been through," she cried.

"Sometimes we give something our all and it's just not enough. It's not your fault. It's just life," Jenna chimed in.

"Not my life," Elena sternly said.

"I'm going to get him back."

"You can't make someone love you when they won't. Just remember that." Her mom said cautioning her.

"Thanks mom," she said holding her. "I love you so much."

"I love you to darling."

Elena walked around the side of the house with the trash and saw one of her father's shoes. Then it moved. Elena rushed over to her father. He was lying a pool of blood gasping for air. Elena bit into her arm and give him her blood. "Daddy," she cried.

"I didn't want to believe it," Grayson said. "You're a monster too." Grayson quickly grabbed a syringe full of vervain in his daughter's leg.

Elena yelled out as she felt vervain rope wrap around her. "Take her to the cell. Don't tell the others about her," she heard her father say before everything went black.


	18. Chapter 18

Hi Everyone I'm sorry this took so long. I have been through a lot this year, my mom passed away in April from cancer and I've just been trying to cope with it. I just started writing again and I'm super excited to finish this and The Family Business. Thanks guys for reading.

* * *

Damon felt kisses trail down his torso and halt at his happy place. He knew those soft lips better then he knew his own. He loved the way she explored his body. The way her hands softly glided across every inch of him and how her warmth hummed above his skin.

Damon knew she just want to feel him, he knew her intention were pure, but the need that was steadily building between his legs was becoming too great to ignore. As if reading his mind her lips wrapped around the tip of his desire and she started her slow seduction. She worked her head up and down. Her tongue luring his seed from his loins.

Damon cursed as she stopped and scaled up his body. Her wet mound hovered above his hips as she passionately kissed his lips. Damon pulled her hips down on his. When she pulled away he cried out. "I need your,"-

She cut his protest off with another kiss. She teased his member by straddling it. She kissed his neck and Damon groaned. Bonnie took his member in her hand and slowly sunk down. She arched her back and worked her hips in a slow circle before bouncing on him.

Damon loved the way she worked him over. This was more than the slow rhythm they used the first time. She knew everything he like and just how to make his toes curl. At the moment he was holding on to the sheets bargaining with God for his life. Bonnie sped up feeling her end approaching. And Damon thought he'd lose his mind.

"Baby yes," she cried out as she collapsed on top of Damon.

Damon held on to her hips and worked himself to completion. He lay in bed with Bonnie snug against him. That was the most at pace he ever felt, then a muffled cry came through the baby monitor.

"That was fun while it lasted," he opened his eye to see Bonnie gazing up at him. Something about the look in her eyes was off, but in a good way. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she smiled as she kissed him. The crying got louder. "I think you should go."

"I'm at the mercy of a two-year-old," he groaned.

"Life could always be worse," Bonnie said as he left the room.

Damon walked through the hall to his little girl's room. Sarah was crying uncontrollably, now. When she screamed the tree outside her window tapped the window seal and things crashed around her room. Damon watched as her lamp went flying against the window and glass shattered everywhere. The lamp seemed to explode on impact. Damon sped in the room and ran Sarah out. "Bonnie," he called.

Bonnie came into the hall just as Sarah vamped out. Her fangs grew and she growled. "Shit," Damon said as he raced her down the stairs. He opened a blood bag and poured it into a sippycup. He gave it to Sarah and gently rocked her.

Bonnie entered the room with her eyes wide. "At least we know when she's hungry for blood," he said making light of the situation.

Bonnie looked at the pair unable to think. "What's wrong with my baby? How did you move like that?"

"Shelia's spell might have a time stamp we didn't know about. She has never feed before so it only makes sense," Damon shrugged.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"The suppression spell!" The terrified gaze in Bonnie's eyes alerted him to a bigger problem. "What do you remember last?"

"We brought Sarah home from Grams' and went to bed," she said.

That's not how their night ended...

* * *

**15 hrs prior. Afterlife Mystic Falls **

Tyler walked up the familiar path to Caroline's house. He hadn't been this nervous to see her in so long. His heart was going a mile a minute in his chest. He wonders what this version of her would be like, and if they could overlook their past and move on. To say he was completely over Caroline was a big fat lie. He had been infatuated with Liv Parker for a while, but he always found himself comparing her to Caroline and trying to make Liv, Caroline. He knew his heart could never leave Care.

Tyler let out a soft sigh when he knocked on the door.

Caroline's eyes lit up when she saw him through the curtains, she felt butterflies move through her stomach and it was like nothing she ever felt before. "Hey," she breathed as she opened the front door.

"Hi," Tyler replied as he walked inside. "Bonnie told me you don't remember anything about before you came to the Afterlife."

"I don't, not really."

"She also mentioned that we're engaged."

"We're engaged to be engaged," they laughed. "We want to wait until after college."

"Sounds like us," Tyler smiled. "I've missed this so much Carebear," he said as he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't want you to feel like things between us have to be the same. I heard about what happened with us and I understand if"-

Tyler cut her off with a passionate kiss. "There's no other place I want to be."

* * *

Katherine had no idea what possessed her to follow Elena. It may have been the fact that she didn't trust her, or have more to do with the fact that she looked like her twin. Katherine was annoyed by the hockey-doke life Elena got to live. She had her family, friends she didn't deserve, and a guy that would do anything for her, yet it wasn't enough. Elena was just like her. The one difference being Katherine "lived up to" her fault, while Elena played the wounded deer and placed blame on anything that wasn't herself. It made Katherine sick.

Katherine was caught by surprise when Elena's father drugged her and had her carried away. Here she was again saving one of Bonnie's friends. One she really didn't like. She really could do without Caroline, but at least Caroline had something to offer. Elena brought nothing to the table but self-righteous bigotry.

Katherine took out her phone.

* * *

Lexi was apprehensive to say the less at Bonnie's plan for them all. "She can't give them a choose she has to send them back."

"Bonnie made up her mind, and we both know that stubborn streak on her is astounding."

"Only second to your brother."

"They are meant for each other, aren't they?" Stefan questioned as he moved closer to her.

"They were pretty great friends first I suppose."

"You think that had anything to do with it?" Stefan asked still inching closer to her.

"There's a possibility," she said closing the distance between them and kissing him. Lexi's phone ring causing them to part. "Katherine what a pleasure."

"But of course. I need your help with something out by Witmore college."

"Is there something specific you could tell me?"

"It's Elena, she is in vampire distress."

"Okay, I'll grab Bonnie and Qetsiyah."

"Great saves me a call."

"Bye."

"What's going on?" Stefan asked.

"I'm not sure, but Katherine says Elena needs help."

Stefan laughed. "When doesn't she?"

"Technically you guys are dating."

"Well, I'm here with you and I say we're over, and this is not," he smirked as he kissed her.

"We should get Bonnie and Damon," Lexi reminded him.

"Sure, we might."

* * *

Bonnie sat and watched as her mother worked closely with her Grams and Qetsiyah on bridging a connection to the other world. She never dreamt anything like this would ever happen and it made her magic feel purposeful again. The Bennett coven was one of the most powerful in the world and it was something she never comprehended, until now.

Bonnie felt power before when she did expression and tapped in to the power of the witches of her line, but what she felt right now sharing magical energy with her family, and sourcing energy from nature was astonishing. It was a great awakening to power she never wanted to do without.

"What exactly are you planning on telling Lucy?" Qetsiyah asked.

"We talked about this and that we would say there's no way back," Abby added.

"That won't be good enough for them. They'll keep looking and lure someone else in to help them," Bonnie warned.

"They need Bennett magic to get here and Lucy won't be able to help them," Abby said.

"How are you so sure?" Bonnie questioned.

"It takes four of us to commune… There's only one Lucy and Liv. She's not strong enough either. The two of them aren't enough for the spell."

"Well we should stop. We can't hurt Lucy and Liv."

"Like you said they won't stop trying," Qetsiyah added.

"The paradigm of this world is fragile. We need to first sever the false connection Caroline and Liv created, then we can fix what is wrong here," Shelia said

"So Liv and Lucy are the last to enter our world?" Bonnie asked.

"No, they will enter through the natural chain with no recollection of what happened prior."

"But Stefan was able to remember."

"That's not what is supposed to happen. Stefan still retained his vampirism when he first crossed over. That was a mistake and the world tried to corrected it by rejecting him," Qetsiyah interjected.

"So this is it, no turning back?" Bonnie asked.

"If you're not sure you want to stay here Bonnie this can wait," Abby assured her.

"No, it's not that I don't want to stay."

"Elena," Qetsiyah said.

"Let's do this now, and everything else will fall back in place," Shelia said.

"I agree."

* * *

Damon rubbed the top of Sarah's head as she nestled close to him. He was furious with Bonnie and her decision to let Matt and Tyler stay. He knew that meant Elena wasn't going anywhere, and as long as she wasn't integrated into their world she was a danger to his happiness. He still couldn't believe what she said at lunch. "Damon," Sarah said not enjoying his lack of attention to their story.

"Dada," Damon correct.

"Damon," she said pointing behind him.

Damon turned to see Stefan and Lexi coming through the door. "What happened now?" he asked.

"Elena is in trouble and we need Bonnie and Qetsiyah," Stefan said.

Damon knew the evening's peace and quiet was too good to be true. Leave it to Elena to find peace and still manage to be in danger. "Well, she's not available at the moment take a number."

"Damon!" Lexi yelled.

"She doing a ritual with Shelia and Abby. It's supposed to keep more people from crossing over when they aren't supposed to. I'm not allowed to interrupt them," he smiled.

"Well, we can't just leave Elena where she is," Lexi said.

"We have three vampires, a werewolf, and Stefan, I'm sure we can manage."

"What about Sarah? Are you going to leave her with mom and dad?"

"No, never in a million years. Not even for five seconds. I'm taking her to Katherine."

"Yeah, well she's with Elena."

"Perfect. Stefan you'll have to babysit."

"Let's bring her," Stefan purposed.

"You want me to bring my child into an uncertain dangerous situation?" Damon questioned. Stefan nodded. "Yeah maybe you shouldn't babysit, Lexi."

\- "No he has a point. Maybe we can get Sarah to use her powers?"

"The only thing she can do is summon cookies and milk," Damon said. "I don't think that will help much, and I'd rather a group of psycho vampire hunters not know about my half vampire half witch toddler."

"Damon we need her magic." Stefan said.

Damon sighed. "Bonnie is going to kill me," he said as turned to get Sarah ready to go.

* * *

"So the founder's counsel is hunting down vampires and doing what with them?" Tyler asked.

"They are making vampires more so then hunting them," Lexi informed Tyler.

"That's odd," Matt noted. "Why would they want to make vampire's when their purpose was to get rid of them."

"Unfortunately, Lexi didn't stay and ask," Damon said as he pulled into the clearing by Katherine and her car.

"Where's Bonnie and Qets?" she asked Damon.

"The moonlight ritual," he informed her.

"Great, I'm sure the vampire thing won't have much of an effect if this place is like where they kept Qets and Lexi," she said.

"Well if we can't go in we lure them out," Damon purposed.

They walked pass the clearing deep into the forest. Katherine lead them to an old cabin. "They took Elena in to the cellar over there. There are two guys in the cabin and two circling the place. I don't know what's in the cellar."

"Caroline you cover the North end by the cabin door. Lexi you and Stefan cover the west end. Katherine you stay east and use these," he said giving her an automatic bow and wooden stakes. "I'm going in south and I'll cut the power. And Tyler you get in the cellar and get Elena. Got it."

"What about me?" Matt asked.

"You're staying with Sarah, quarterback. If anything goes slightly wrong, get out of here and get Bonnie," he said given Matt the keys to his SUV. "Until then cover Katherine."

Damon went in and cut the power. Immediately the lights went out and the guards looked to each other. Damon went in quick as lighting and snapped each of their necks. He ripped the padlock off the cellar. Tyler followed suit and went down into the cellar to get Elena.

* * *

Caroline was up next and Father Young was the first to come out of the cabin to see what happened to the power. Instantly, she hit him over the head and he fell to the ground. Following him was a women and Caroline quickly did the same. "Sorry," she whispered as she dragged them back to the porch.

* * *

"This is boring," Katherine said as she watched on as Tyler went into the cellar.

"Well doing the right thing isn't always as exciting as the alternative," Matt laughed.

"And now I know why I make the choices I do," she smirked at him.

"I haven't been here very long, but I know that you care about everyone a lot. Just like Elena."

"Not like Elena," Katherine deadpan. "The only thing Elena cares about is what everyone can do to validate her feelings." Matt laughed. "Why is that funny she's just using you all."

"It's just that you two share a face and hate each other so much. It's just strange."

* * *

There was nothing happening on their end so Stefan and Lexi circled around front to check on Caroline. She was doing fine and they decided to circle around and check on Katherine and Matt. Everything seemed okay, but still Tyler and Damon hadn't showed with Elena.

"Let's go see what's keeping them," Lexi said to Caroline.

"Sure," she said.

* * *

Damon looked around. He never knew the tunnels extended this far out of the town lines. He and Tyler followed the lights to an intersection. The kept going straight and ran into holding cells carved into the tunnel walls. Each cell holding a person hooked up to an IV drip, staring out into the distance. It didn't take long for them to find Elena. "How do these cells open?" Tyler asked not seeing a keyhole or latch for the bars.

"I don't know," Damon said as he tried to bend them. "FUCK!" he screamed. "There's vervain on them.

Tyler gave it a try and they gave a little. "It's going to take me forever to get a space big enough to get her out," Tyler said as he looked around. "There has to be something we're missing."

Damon scaled the room again and saw a pully. He reached up and tried to pull it down. "Tyler a little help."

Tyler laughed and jumped off the wall and up pulling the rope down and causing himself to fall and scrap his hand. Instantly the bars went up and everyone's focus was now on Tyler. He looked up at Damon. "Why are they all looking at me."

"Let's just get Elena and get out."

"Fine by me," he said going into the cell. Elena's focus was trained on he's bleeding hand. "Elena we're here to set you free come on," Tyler said helping her up, as Damon took out the IV.

The liquid burned his hand. "They pumped her full of vervain," Damon noted.

"Hungry," Elena mumbled.

"What?" Damon asked.

"Hungry," Elena yelled as she pounced on Tyler ripping a whole in his neck.

"Elena stop we need to go," he yelled as he tried to pull her off of Tyler. Elena pushed Damon into an adjacent wall triggering an alarm. However, Elena was obvious to the external world. The only thing she cared about was feeding the hunger within her.

"Ohmigod," Caroline yelled as she swooped in to help.

"Guys," Lexi said noting that the other prisoners were starting to move in on them.

"Come on," Damon said making a path for them to get through.

Once they entered the interception a fluffy powder started to seep into the cell. It held off the bulk of the freed prisoners, but a few were still tailing them. Damon ushered everyone up the cellar steps out of the tunnels and tried to make his way out. One of the freed prisoners grabbed hold of his leg and bit into it. "Crap," Damon yelled.

"Damon," Stefan yelled running to try and help the other's pull him out.

"There are too many of them," Caroline said as she and Lexi tried to keep their hold on Damon.

Soon Sarah was upset by her father's anguished cries. "Ohmigod," Matt said.

"Watch out," Katherine yelled.

Sarah's face was glowing and she screeched. Causing glass to break and a concentrated beam of light flowed through her and knocked out the back wall of the cabin. It covered the cellar entrance and Caroline and Lexi were able to pull Damon away in time.

* * *

Bonnie knew that something was wrong when she finished the ritual. She could feel the disturbance in her spirit. Sarah was in distress. Qetsiyah drove her home after she didn't get any answer from Damon. When she got to the Manor she raced through the door and looked through every room. "Damon, Sarah," she called out. "Damon, Sarah," she yelled as she raced up the stairs.

Then she felt it. The discharge of power. "Qetsiyah," she yelled as she raced down the stairs. "Did you feel that?"

"Yeah."

"It was Sarah, I know it was Sarah," she panicked. "Ohmigod, what's going on."

"Bonnie, everything is going to be alright. We'll find them."

"My baby," she cried.

"She needs you to calm down so you can help her. Breathe," Qetsiyah directed her. "Let's go back to Shelia's and see if we can figure this out."

"Fine," Bonnie said as her phone rang.

"Hey," Damon said.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked.

"Elena got kidnapped by the counsel and things are much worse than we thought," he informed her.

"Where's Sarah is she okay."

"She's great. She used her powers to save me."

"Why would you take our daughter to a counsel of people trying to kill you?" Bonnie yelled.

"It wasn't my idea and I had few options," Damon said.

"Damon," she started.

"I know and I'm sorry. We'll be home in ten."

"Fine," Bonnie sighed.

"I love you."

"Me too."

* * *

**Present time Afterlife Mystic Falls **

Damon watched as Bonnie took in all he told her. They were dead, they died… Damon was a vampire and so was their daughter. "Damon I-this…"

"I know it sounds crazy."

"Crazy doesn't begin to describe how this sounds."

Damon took Bonnie into his arms and placed his forehead on hers. "We are going to spend all eternity together I promise you."

"But you're not you. You're not mine," Bonnie said as she looked up into his eyes.

Damon smirked at her. "I'm always going to be yours. I'm not letting you go anywhere Bonnie. I want this life with you and everything we've been through to get here is proof enough that I'm not changing my mind. You're going to be Mrs. Damon Salvatore if it's the last thing I do."

"Damon," Bonnie said placing her hand on his cheek. "You don't remember everything yet. You aren't mine yet. And I want you to be sure before it's too late and we do the other part of the spell. If you want a life with Elena now's your chance for it."

"Bonnie, with or without all my memories I'm yours. Always Bon." He kissed her passionately. "Do you want us?"

"Forever and always," she smiled.

"That can be arranged."


	19. Chapter 19

**Mystic Falls**

Jeremy paced the hall of Tyler's place. He couldn't stay at the boarding house with the others. He didn't understand why Bonnie would want to stay in a world where she and Damon were dating and had a child. He felt cheated in a lot of ways. He and Bonnie were by all means far from starting a relationship up again, but he felt there was still a chance for them.

There were a few moments where Damon's concern for Bonnie's wellbeing seemed to reflect deeper feelings. However, Jeremy knew that was due to Bonnie's witch status and her utility to Damon. There was no way Damon had legitimate feelings for Bonnie.

Jeremy looked down at his phone. He'd been spending his summer calling Bonnie's voicemail and leaving drunken messages. It was hard to accept that Bonnie was really gone. There was always a way out for her. She was virtually invincible. He threw his phone at the wall. If Bonnie didn't want to comeback… fuck her.

* * *

Enzo helped Lucy and Liv carry their ingredients into the parlor. "Do you ladies have everything you need?" he asked as he sat the bags he was carrying by the coffee table.

"Yes, we have everything. I'm going to start by building a connection to Abby since we share a bloodline. That would build a bridge between our worlds," Lucy informed them.

"Those things work best with only direct descendants around. What am I supposed to do?" Liv asked.

"Studying the spell might work out nicely for you," Lucy smiled.

"I know the spell."

"The second stanza is?" Lucy asked.

"I don't have it memorized."

"Then you should start," Lucy informed her.

"I guess being a huge bitch runs in the family," Liv said as she walked out of the room.

Lucy smirked to herself and continued to place her stones in a small circle. She took out a lighter. "Since you insist on standing here, why don't you light these," Lucy said as she gave Lorenzo the lighter.

"You aren't going to make me cry?"

"I didn't say that, but I wouldn't say you're out of the woods just yet," she said.

* * *

**Afterlife Mystic Falls two years ago**

_Damon walked into his new home and noticed it was just as he left it…empty. It stung a bit that Bonnie hadn't taken him up on his offer to stay in the house while he was gone. Their communication had been getting better lately and he honestly felt like things between them were on the right track. He knew their living arrangement would change with time._

_Damon loosen his tie and rummaged through the mail. There was a huge envelope addressed to Bonnie from a performing arts school. He smirked. She was getting mail there and it seemed important. That was a step. And leverage for dinner. _

_Damon's phone buzzed in his pocket with a call from his mother. "Hello mother," Damon greeted her. _

_"Did you get in yet?" she asked._

_"Um yeah I just got in."_

_"So you'll be at Zach's birthday dinner tonight with Bonnie?" _

_"Mom, I think that's too much right now. I'm really busy with work and Bonnie hasn't been feeling well," he lied. _

_"If you don't want to come to your cousin's birthday party that's fine, you don't have to lie about it, and you most certainly don't have to bring Bonnie into your mess," she yelled and ended the call. _

_Damon let out a jagged breath and rubbed his temples. He picked up his briefcase and took it to his office. It was still cluttered with moving boxes he hadn't had time to unpack. "No time like the present," he said to himself as he got to work on his office. _

_Once his office was semi-complete a heavy knock sounded at his door. Damon walked to the front of the house and saw his father seething through the blinds. "Father what a pleasure," Damon said as he opened the door. _

_"Your mother has spent months planning this dinner for Zach," Giuseppe yelled._

_"I know that," Damon yelled back. _

_"Then why are you acting like you're not on broad and lying saying Bonnie isn't coming too."_

_"I'm sure the Salvatore Boarding House is the last place Bonnie wants to be. Especially given our circumstance," Damon said. _

_"She didn't express the same concerns at dinner last night," Giuseppe informed him. _

_"What are you talking about?" Damon asked his father. _

_"After Stefan took Bonnie to her appointment she stayed over and had dinner with us," Giuseppe informed his son. He noted the outrage seething behind Damon's eyes. "It seems Bonnie's only problem with a Salvatore remains with you son._

_"That dinner reminded me of when we first moved to Mystic Falls. Right after Zach's parents passed. Stefan and Bonnie were two peas in a pod again. Stayed up all night talking-fell asleep in the study by the fire. If Bonnie hadn't got knocked-up by you I'd tell Stefan to give it ago. Lord knows that Gilbert girl you two are fighting over isn't worth it."_

_"I'm not interested in Elena, and Bonnie isn't interested in Stefan."_

_"So her not telling you she invited your brother to her doctor's appointment and spending the night with him must be a clear sign of that," Giuseppe smiled as Damon stood speechless. _

_"Do not disappoint my wife. This dream house your building will be this lonely for the rest of your life," Giuseppe warned. "And FYI you moved in two months ago unpack or hire someone to do it. This isn't the proper environment for the woman carrying my grandchild." _

_Damon slammed the door behind his father and paced his living room. One, Bonnie had a doctor's appointment she never told him about. If she had he would have never spent the week in Port Richman. Two, Stefan knew about this and instead of being a good brother, he lied to him. Three, they spent the night together. "WHAT THE FUCK!" Damon yelled at the top of his lungs. He went back into his study and pulled his bottle of bourbon out of its box. _

_He downed the glass in one quick sip. He had a birthday dinner to attend. _

* * *

_Bonnie looked at her body in the full length mirror of her Gram's spear room. She looked like a fat pumpkin in the orange dress she brought with Anna and Caroline. Bonnie sighed and sunk on to the bed. "You're beautiful. The belly is only for another five months. Hopefully less," she said. _

_Someone knocked on the door frame of the room. She looked up at the smiling brunette and stood taking a few steps towards her then stopping in disbelief. "I used the spare key to get in," Elena informed her. "I just want to talk." _

_"I'm not ready to talk to you Elena. I know you want us to be friends again, but I can't do that. Not feeling how I do about Damon. I love him."_

_"You don't act like it," she deadpanned. _

_"What is that supposed to mean?" _

_"Is that baby Damon's or Stefan's?" she yelled._

_Bonnie took a step back; she was floored. "What kind of stupid question is that?" _

_"I introduce my supervisor to my boyfriend today only to find out he was there being super flirty with another brunette-last name Bennett. And when I talked to said boyfriend about it I found out more, like you spending basically the whole night together. Like old times. The time you were in love with my boyfriend." _

_"Elena you know that is bullshit. I set you two up, knowing that Caroline was obsessed with Stefan. It was never a thought in my mind. He was never an option for me, and you know that," Bonnie said with a tear in her eye. "I'd never go after someone I knew you liked. But you, you're not like that, are you?" _

_"You never said"-_

_"But you knew. Hell Matt knew how I felt about Damon. You were my best friend don't you lie to my face and say you never saw it too." _

_"Obviously, you have me confused with Anna, the one you confess everything to." _

_"Are you serious? Are you going to turn this into a contest?" Bonnie laughed. "I wasn't being as closed to you anymore, because I decided to spend time away from you and Stefan. Everything is about you and one of the Salvatores. I'm sorry I found someone interested in what I have to say and things I like to do. Do you even recall the last conversation we had that wasn't about a relationship you were fucking up? First it was Matt, and Stefan, and once Damon came around to you, you had to have him to."_

_"I love Damon, and he loves me. You weren't supposed to get knocked-up. He was mad I went with Stefan and you were," Elena paused and looked Bonnie up and down. "just there. And oh so willing. Couldn't even use a condom." _

_"Fuck you. Get out now!" Bonnie yelled as the house shook. _

_"Did I make the sad witch angry. Image how Damon's going to feel after I tell him what you did while he was out making a living for you and the child that not his," Elena yelled and walked out. _

_Bonnie screeched like a banshee at the top of her lungs. After a while she sat on the floor panting. She had no idea Elena was a giant bitch. If Bonnie didn't get control of her emotions she would kill someone. _

* * *

_Damon walked through the house and saw no sign of his…girlfriend. Bonnie hadn't shown and he was starting to feel like shit for thinking about humiliating her in front of the whole town again. "Hey where's Bonnie?" Stefan asked._

_"From what I hear I should be asking you that?" he said before he took a long sip of his drink._

_"I didn't think she was going to tell you," he laughed. _

_"She didn't, father did," he smiled at his younger brother. _

_"It was snowing and she was going into the clinic alone. You wanted me to just leave her?" he asked. _

_"I wanted you to be my brother and call me."_

_"So you'd drive all the way home seething about how Bonnie kept that from you, and run into the clinic and make a fool of yourself?" Stefan asked. _

_"I flew to Port Richman," he said. _

_"Damon, I was trying to help you. She doesn't need your erratic brand of concern. She needs you to be patient and to trust that she's doing everything she can for your baby." _

_"You mean the baby she didn't want to keep?" _

_"What?"_

_"She goes to the general hospital for appointments, not the clinic. If you would have told me that she was at the clinic I would have dragged her ass out of there in a heartbeat. She isn't as in love with this situation as you think. The baby is the problem. And her lack of feeling for it." _

_"She wants the baby. She may not want you to know it, but she wants it."_

_"How do you know that?"_

_"She thought something was wrong. And I saw how happy she was when the doctor told her, your daughter is perfectly healthy," Stefan smiled. _

_"It's a girl," Damon said getting teary eyed. _

_"Seem reaction she had to that news. Now go make your toast for Zach. And go home to your girls." _

* * *

_Damon walked in to the manor making another call to Bonnie. "It's me leave a message."_

_"I need to talk to you. Please call me." Damon walked up to his bedroom and noticed the light to the hall bathroom was on. He slowly walked towards the light. He opened the door slowly and there was nothing. _

_Defeated by the day, Damon undressed and crawled into bed. He couldn't stop thinking about Bonnie and their little girl. He was really going to be a father. Exhaustion instantly took a hold of Damon and he was on his way to sleep. Until he felt the foot of the bed dip a little. He turned to see long curls advancing towards him. _

_"I'm sorry I didn't know you'd go to sleep so soon." Her voice was jagged and unsure. _

_He knew the reason she came and he was more than happy to oblige her. He settled her core on his semi-erect penis. Her warmth was intoxicating. It wouldn't take much more to bring him to full mass and he knew that. "Lift," he directed her and slid off his briefs. He felt underneath her robe and was met with bear flesh. His eyes widened in the darkness. He allowed his hands to trail her body and not a tee-shirt, no shorts, nor bra, or panties was found. _

_"I want you," she insisted. _

_Her restraint was nonexistent at that very moment. He knew she was in desperate need the second his bare skin came in contact with the hot flesh of her thighs. Her core was steaming and he wouldn't waste another second not being inside her. _

_"Fuck," she cried out as she slowly sunk down on his member. She placed her hands on his shoulders to help keep her balance and she rode him hard and steady. "Fuck yes Damon," she cried. _

_Damon smirked and held on to her hips. He gilded her up and down meeting her thrust for thrust. "I love you," he called out to her._

_"I love you baby," she said working her clit against his base. _

_Damon allowed his hands to trail her body while she worked herself over. He started at her ass kneading handfuls of it. Then he allowed his hands to trail up. He felt her round belly. There was a tiny pouch forming and his chest swelled with pride. His seed was growing inside her. _

_"I'm close," she cried._

_Damon stopped what he was doing and licked the tips of his fingers. He worked her clit over with one hand while helping her ride him with the other. Soon she finally exploded on his still hard cock. She collapsed on him. "Bonnie the baby." He reminded her as he turned her on her back beside him. _

_She turned on her side and felt between his legs. "We can finish," she yawned. _

_Damon laughed. "I'm good. I just want you here." _

_"I'm sorry I was really upset and I've been super horny and you kept calling and I was only going to stay over and talk, but I"- _

_Damon was tired of her talking so he kissed her. "Goodnight Bonnie."_

_"Goodnight Damon."_

* * *

_As if born again Damon Salvatore was on an unstoppable roll. He was able to buy out several high quality flip properties, and it was barley noon. His father was going away to assess the management of several important properties and Stefan agreed to go in his place. However, the best thing about his morning was the text he got from Bonnie asking if he wanted to order out for dinner or eat in. It was small, but it was something. _

_"Mr. Salvatore," Anna his assistant called in. _

_"Yes."_

_"You have a Ms. Gilbert here to see you," she informed him. _

_"You can let her in." _

_"You sure," she sang. _

_"Yes, Anna."_

_"Really sure." _

_"Anna!" Damon yelled. _

_Elena came into his office and ran into his arms. She stood there crying for a good three minutes before she sobered and pulled away. "Are you okay?" _

_"I can't believe them. Why would they do this to us? And make us feel bad for what we did?" she said and started to cry again. _

_Damon grabbed more tissue. "Elena calm down. What's going on?"_

_Elena's big brown doe eyes widened in confusion. "That bitch didn't tell you yet?" she spat out. _

_"Who didn't tell me what?" _

_"Bonnie," She said slowly and she started to sniffle again. _

_A chill crept up his spine at the way Elena said Bonnie's name. There was no emotion no connection and that scared him. "What about Bonnie?" _

_"It's not your baby," she cried._

_"Of course it is," he laughed. _

_"Here," Elena gave him folder with pictures in it from the mystic grill security camera. "It's from a week after the Halloween party. Stefan just told me about it. I got Jeremy to print these out." _

_Damon looked at the time stamp. She was right. The two looked to be having a tense conversation. That wasn't usually their vibe. Then Stefan was holding her hand and the look in Bonnie's eyes. That uncertainty. "This doesn't mean anything."_

_"He's leaving with her. He is going to take her out west somewhere. He's going with your asshole father to find a place." _

_Okay it was believable now. Giuseppe already issued that warning to Damon, but it was his child Bonnie was carrying. His little girl. _

_"That baby is mine Elena. I know what I did, and I'm going to take care of my responsibility."_

_"They got a paternity test. The results came in this morning," she cried. "They were hiding their relationship for months. It started around prom. Stefan felt guilty and left to see his friends in New Orleans. He said when he came back he tried to pretend it never happened, but she wouldn't leave his mind, like he was under a spell. And then around the end of July they were sneaking around. Meeting along the border and in Whitmore. Then they progressed to hotel exchanges, and using Qetsiyah's loft. She isn't a friend at all. _

_"She knew I had feeling for you when you guys first came here. And I'd tell her how adorable she looked with Stefan. Then she started to push Stefan on me. And now she's claiming that she' always had feelings for you. Bull shit." _

_"I think you should leave," he informed Elena. _

_"But she's playing you for a fool Damon. They both are."_

_"I SAID GET THE FUCK OUT NOW ELENA!" Damon yelled. _

_"I-I don't…you just don't deserve to be hurt. I'm sorry," she said and she hugged him. "I understand your pain. I'm here for you." Elena walked out his office, and Anna gave her a parting dirty looked. Once she had Damon back in his place, that bitch would be fired baby and all. Once out of the building Elena laughed all the way to her car. Bonnie wasn't going to have either Salvatore if she had anything to do with it. _

* * *

_Damon was livid as he called it an early day and got everyone out of the office. He was going to kill someone. His blood was like melted lava coursing through his veins. His anger was building like a storm approaching the shore. He needed a release and Stefan's phone along with his father's line were busy. _

_They were avoiding him. Elena might have been right about them looking for a home out west. Stefan hated scouting potential real-estate. He should have known right there and then that something was off. _

_Damon got in and slammed the door close. He walked up stairs and saw Bonnie putting the little bit of clothing she had into a box. "What the fuck are you doing?" he asked her. _

_Bonnie jumped. She was startled not only by his presence, but by the base in his voice. "I'm just getting rid of some old stuff."_

_"Old stuff, we bought this last month," Damon said picking up a sweater. _

_"If you hadn't noticed I've grown a bit in the last month," she said placing one of her delicate hand on her baby bump and returning to her packing. _

_"Bonnie," he said looking at her and feeling like his chest was going to cave in. _

_Bonnie turned at the way he said her name. He looked like he was going to faint. "Are you okay?" she asked immediately rushing to his side. _

_"You are going to tell me the whole truth. I need to know what the hell is going on with you and my brother," he yelled. _

_Bonnie was taken aback by his question. "I don't understand what you're asking Damon."_

_"Are you fucking my brother, Bonnie?" he asked. _

_"Damon I'm not going to acknowledge that ridiculous question."_

_"Why? I know about your feeling. You guys sneaking around," he yelled as he went into his briefcase and pulled out the pictures he got from Elena. "Is the baby even mine."_

_Bonnie looked at the photos. "Are you having me followed?"_

_"Is that my fucking kid Bonnie," Damon asked as he grabbed her arms. "Don't you dare lie to me."_

_"Let me go Damon or so help me I'll kill you." She issued a warning, but he knew it was more, a promise. Damon released her. "Why would I lie about you being the father?"_

_"You didn't say it, I did. Stefan was dating your best friend, we did sleep together, so if I were going to claim it, why not." _

_Bonnie looked at Damon like he had seven heads. How could he rationalize something so outrageous? "I've never been intimate with your brother." _

_"You could have fooled me. The way he followed you around when we first got to Mystic Falls. How you'd spend the night literally every night, and you let him take you to your secret doctor's appointment at the clinic. You don't go to the clinic."_

_"I thought something was wrong with the baby." _

_"The baby you wanted to abort. Why so admit about keeping it now? You finally know they good brother's the father?" _

_"Damon I think we should stop this now before this goes somewhere we can't comeback from. Nothing is happening with me and Stefan. He was my best friend for a good bit of time." _

_"He's looking for a house for you, he wants you guys to have a beautiful life far away from me."_

_"Damon," she said placing a hand on his check he looked her in the eye and she spoke. "I am not going anywhere. Stefan and I are friends and that's it. He's your brother."_

_"It didn't stop Elena." _

_"Elena only loves one person and that's herself. I love you and I'm here for you." _

_Damon felt something in the pit of his stomach when she said she loved him. He believed her, but the evidence of foul play was too strong to let go of. "I know he always wanted you." _

_"Damon." _

_"He always wanted to be with you Bonnie. He loved you and then he was with Elena. It never made a lick of sense to me. He was like a lost puppy on your heels and then… He just wasn't." _

_"I-I. Damon we were kids just let it go," she yelled. _

_"No! Did you ever have anything with him?" _

_Bonnie was frustrated and reasoning with Damon was going nowhere. "I-I didn't want to be with Stefan. I never did. He knew that and he excepted it." _

_"But it happened anyway." _

_"No… I found everything I ever dreamed of," she said looking into his eyes. "I told Stefan that I wanted to be with you, and that it would be wrong of me to be in a relationship with him. And I suggested he give Elena a try." _

_"The pictures," Damon asked. _

_Bonnie laughed. "Stefan was concerned that you were using me to get Elena."_

_"I'd never do that," he said brushing her hair back. "You-I'm mad about you. I've always been and it killed me watching you two pal around the boarding house and not being able to tell you."_

_"I'm sorry if I made you feel like Stefan was ever a possibility."_

_"No, I'm crazy. I never should have listened to Elena."_

_"That bitch told you this?" Bonnie asked._

_"Yeah she made me believe you and Stefan were fooling around, and that the baby wasn't mine."_

_"I love you, and only your crazy ass." He laughed. "Let's just promise to let Elena go. You two are all the family I need," Bonnie said as she took Damon's hand and put it on her baby bump. _

_"I'm so sorry Bonnie," he said as he wrapped her in his arms. "Just you and me against the world."_

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and thanks for you encouraging words. The flashback will make more sense next chapter, and im going to be focusing a little more on Bonnie, Stefan, and Damon's relationship to Elena as they decide if she should stay or go. **


	20. Chapter 20

Elena lay limp on the couch the following morning. She clunked out after Caroline broke her neck. With Sarah in one arm Damon caressed the hair out of her face and left the room. A smirk etched it's self across her face. After a short while Damon returned into the room carrying Sarah into the kitchen along with breakfast from the Mystic Grille. "Damon," Bonnie yelled as she raced down the stairs.

"Ssh." He said looking into the hall leading to the living room. Elena was still knocked out on the couch. "Elena's sleeping."

"Here?!" Bonnie yelled with a sharp edge to her voice.

"Ssh, yes, here."

"Why? Why didn't you send her back to the boarding house or her parents?"

"Her dad knows she's a vampire, ergo my dad knows too, along with Tyler and Caroline's parents, and Matt is staying with Tyler so that leaves her with us or Katherine, and I don't have to explain anymore because I'm sure you get the picture."

"Damon Angelo Salvatore, you get her out of my house or so help me I will end you," she ordered as she took Sarah allowing Damon to fix their plates. "Is it honestly not enough that you put our child in danger to save her, but now she is staying here?"

"Look, She's not that Elena, at least not yet. The Bonnie I came here with wanted to protect her, and send her home safely. She's still your best friend-your sister."

"Like I said before, you're not mine yet so you don't understand."

"I know what she did to us."

"But you don't understand Damon. You don't understand because you have those other memories of her, and who she could've been. I know that I can't trust her. Especially when the name Salvatore is involved. She put you and Stefan through hell, and if he didn't take her away and get her to that shrink… I might have killed her."

"Okay, I'll see if Matt will be interested in taking her to stay at Vickie's."

Bonnie licked her lips. "Thank you," she said.

"Like I said before. I'm yours. ALWAYS."

Bonnie caressed his cheek. "I love you so much." Damon could feel her sadness. Something was wrong. "I'm going to stay with my grams and I'm taking Sarah. I know you want to help her Damon. And you have every right to."

"I don't want you to leave," Damon said with a clear edge to his voice. "You're not leaving."

"Damon I can't do this with you and her."

"Nothing is happening Bon, NOTHING."

"Okay," Bonnie said, but he knew she didn't mean it.

* * *

"Stefan," Giuseppe called to him from the kitchen.

"Father," Stefan said as he came into the room.

"I heard Elena is in town," Giuseppe noted as he set aside his paper.

"I knew it would be a matter of time before she came to find me," Stefan admitted.

"So you were hiding out from her?" he inquired.

"No I just missed my family and friends. Portland is far, and I missed Sarah's birthday. I just know Elena isn't welcome in Bonnie and Damon's life. They're really close to getting it right. And I want that for them," Stefan said.

"So you understand that girl is a threat to our family," Giuseppe warned.

"I wouldn't go that far, but I know she's not helping Bonnie trust Damon."

"And how are you going to fix that?" he asked as he relaxed in his chair.

"What?"

"You are the only one that has ever been able to get through to her. Her own parents can't control her. FIX THIS," Giuseppe demanded and left the room.

"Morning sweetheart you want something to eat?" Lilly asked as she entered the room.

"No I'm good," he said being short with her.

"So he told you about Elena," she said as she sat next to her son. "Are you okay."

"I'm fine with her being here, I'm not fine with her sense of ownership over me, and entitlement," he laughed.

Lilly placed her hand gently on his cheek. "You were always a caring boy. And that's what people need sometimes, just someone to care about them when they can't care for themselves."

Stefan placed his hand on hers. "I guess."

* * *

Caroline was both surprised and delighted when Tyler franticly called her not knowing how he and Matt wound-up in Mystic Falls. She didn't dwell too long on the fact that she had her Tyler back. Her main concern was Bonnie and Elena.

She tried Bonnie and got no answer. And calling Damon produced the same result. She placed a call to Stefan and when it seemed as though he wasn't going to answer he picked up. "Stefan where's Bonnie?"

"Damon said she'd be at Shelia's all day working on the spell," Stefan informed her.

"Well we have a huge problem. Tyler and Matt don't remember anything before crossing over. And I'm assuming the same happened to Abby and Elena"-

"So this Elena is loose in Mystic Falls?" Stefan questioned.

"Yeah and she is probably not going to be a big fan of Bonnie's."

"We have to get over to the manor," Stefan said.

"I'm already on my way meet me there in five."

"Okay," Stefan said grabbing his car keys and leaving the boarding house.

* * *

Damon was off to work and Bonnie had taken Sarah. Elena was done playing nice. She had to get Damon back, and now was as good a time as any. She knew that Damon wasn't going anywhere with her if Bonnie and Sarah were still in the picture. She needed a plan to get them out of the way. Elena's planning was cut short when the front door opened. She perked up assuming it would be Damon checking in on her.

"Elena," Stefan said as he came into the living room from the foyer.

"Stefan," she said a bit surprised, but happy to see him.

"Hey we brought you blood from the clinic."

"We?" she questioned.

"Caroline."

"Oh, no Lexi?"

"She's at work."

"What is it that she does?"

"Teacher at the elementary school on Harbor and Clark."

"And what do you do?"

"I work at my father's real estate agency. We are coast to coast," Stefan smirked.

"And that's why we went to Portland?"

"Partly, more because you needed to get away, but you also needed a friend."

"Friend."

"Friend," Stefan assured her. "Everyone thinks because we left together that it means we are together. I gave up on us when you decided you were in love with my brother."

"I'm sorry about that Stefan," she said.

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Bonnie for everything you put her through, and Damon. You didn't destroy me. You destroyed them. And you're not going to do that again. You're going to leave when Bonnie says the time is right."

"And what about this Elena? Do you think she'll just let this be? Do you think she'd let Bonnie still her happiness? Stefan I"-

"-Elena don't go there," Caroline said.

"You were always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," she smirked.

"And you were always the one playing the victim to get what she wants. If people are too busy feeling sorry for you it's hard for them to see through your bullshit right."

"Don't test me," Elena warned.

"Or you'll what?" Caroline said coming into the room. "You can't hurt me the way you did Bonnie. I stopped caring about you a long time ago," she smirked.

"You bitch," she said breaking the table leg using vampire speed to stab Caroline in the stomach.

"Elena," Caroline yelled as she looked down.

Stefan swooped in while Elena was in shock and stuck a needle full of vervain. "Are you okay Care?"

"She just fucking stabbed me," Caroline yelled as she removed the piece of wood in her abdomen.

"Stefan," Elena softly cried.

"Bitch," Caroline yelled and kicked her in the face.

"Caroline," Stefan warned.

"I just got stabbed."

"Help me get her to the cellar," Stefan said with a smirk.

"I just got a manicure, but I guess I could."

* * *

Bonnie returned Caroline's phone call in time to meet them at the boarding house and to do a cloaking spell to make it easier to get Elena to the cellar. "I can't believe she stabbed you," Stefan noted.

"You're the only one," Bonnie said.

"Definitely are," Caroline smiled as she clapped Stefan on the back.

"What are you guys planning to do with her?"

"From what I know about our lives in Portland Elena was fine, she was making progress in therapy and enjoying her time in the hospital. Jeremy came up to visit every month and things were fine."

"So maybe this has something to do with the vampire part of her?" Bonnie questioned.

"Caroline had a hard time controlling her vampire urges the first few days following her being here. Maybe that has something to do with what's going on with Elena. Maybe she has her humanity turned off. Or she can't control her rage?" Stefan proposed.

"How was Abby?" Caroline asked.

"She was fine. She spent time studying heretics so she gained use of her powers. It's been fine," Bonnie said.

"Well something is going on with Elena and we need to get control of it. And we need to do it fast," Stefan said.

"Caroline go get my Gram's grimoire maybe there's something in it about turning on a vampire's humanity we've never known. Stefan you get Damon here, maybe he can help us."

"And what are you going to do?" Caroline asked already knowing the answer.

"She already stabbed you and Stefan's human now. I can subdue her without alerting anyone."

"She's spicy," Caroline warned.

"And I can handle her."

Caroline hugged Bonnie. "Call if you need us. We'll be right back."

"Okay."

"Seriously Bon. Call," Stefan said.

"I will."

It didn't take long for Elena to wake and she wasn't too pleased to see Bonnie looking down at her. "I should have known that you'd send your minion after me once Damon was gone. You can't stand the fact that he's not over me can you?" Elena said.

"If Damon wasn't over you he'd be with you and trust me he's not going to let you anywhere near our home again."

Elena smirked. "You can't give Damon what he needs. One day you'll be old and fragile and he'll be tired of you. Sarah will be off being a mother, and you'll just have to watch as you slowly waste away and Damon loses interest in you. He'll start staying late at work, then wind up with a younger secretary or intern and you'll break-up and then he'll find me. And will be just the same. Vampires. Forever."

"You don't believe that bullshit."

"You do. That's what you're afraid of. Why you won't marry him. You know all roads lead back to me. Baby or not. He's mine."

"That's not why I haven't married Damon," Bonnie laughed. "He's over you. He's been over you since the second you wormed you way into his bed. And you only did that to get Damon to lore Stefan home, but you got caught up in the drama or it all that you lost the one thing you truly want. Stefan."

"It's not about Stefan."

"It was about Stefan that first Christmas you came back."

Elena growled and lunged at Bonnie. "You stole everything from me," she growled.

"Elena you ruined your own life. And the second you realized you did, you blamed me because you couldn't handle the truth. You pushed Caroline away, you toyed with Matt, you used Damon, and hurt Stefan. You did all of that not me."

"Caroline is the poor man's version of me. She always wanted to be me. And once she realized that wasn't going to happen, she moved on to trying to be Lexi."

"And there you go deflecting to Caroline. You are the problem; why can't you see it?" Bonnie yelled.

"And you're just perfect. You're a Saint. Aren't you? Ever tell Damon about that night? You ever tell him how cozy you in Stefan got by the fire?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know I saw him holding you like you were his whole world," she yelled with tears in her eyes. "And him telling you how much he wishes he could be her to watch Sarah grow-up and spend time with Damon. And you two acted as if I was holding him back from that. You are the problem Bonnie. Everything with Damon and Stefan was fine until you and Sarah became pieces of the puzzle."

"I wish you didn't feel that way."

"Well, I don't. And that's why I'm going to win. You dwell on the past. Like that first Christmas and I understand why. I intimidate you. And I should. Because I'm not the only one who's in love with both of them. All you have to do is admit it Bonnie. That's the easiest part."


End file.
